Varaha Purana 113.44: Adhyaya 113, Shloka 44

Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry

Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue

Devanagari script

कला काष्ठापि षण्मासाः षड्रसाश्चापि संयमः॥ सरितः सागराश्च त्वं पर्वताश्च महोरगाः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 113.44

Transliteration

kalā kāṣṭhāpi ṣaṇmāsāḥ ṣaḍ-rasāś cāpi saṃyamaḥ || saritaḥ sāgarāś ca tvaṃ parvatāś ca mahoragāḥ

Translation

கலா, காஷ்டா, மேலும் அரையாண்டுகள்; ஆறு சுவைகளும், கட்டுப்பாடும் (ஸம்யமம்) கூட. நீரே நதிகளும் கடல்களும்; நீரே மலைகளும் மகோரகங்கள் (மாபெரும் பாம்புகள்) ஆகிறீர்।

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Word by Word

• कला: kalā (time unit)
• कला: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• काष्ठा: kāṣṭhā (time unit)
• काष्ठा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also)

• षण्मासाः: six-month periods
• षण्मासाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः: ‘षण्णां मासानां समाहारः/समूहः’ (six-month periods)

• षड्-रसाः: the six tastes
• षड्-रसाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः: ‘षट् रसाः’ (six tastes)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also)

• संयमः: restraint/control
• संयमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सागराः: oceans
• सागराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun)

• पर्वताः: mountains
• पर्वताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महोरगाः: great serpents
• महोरगाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘महान्तः उरगाः’ (great serpents)

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default dialogue framework; address to Varāha/Viṣṇu)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Ecological Narratives
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The verse combines natural geography (rivers, oceans, mountains) with cultural-ethical vocabulary (saṃyama), illustrating how Purāṇic texts integrate environmental features into a broader cosmological and normative worldview.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single named site is specified here; instead, broad categories (rivers, oceans, mountains) are invoked as part of a universalized sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The explicit ethical term is saṃyama (restraint/self-regulation), presented as part of the ordered cosmos and thus culturally valorized.