Varaha Purana 39.24: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 24

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Pūrva Bhāga · Vratakathā / Dharma-anuśāsana (Dialogic Inquiry on Fasting and Vows)

Devanagari script

सत्यतपा उवाच । कोऽसौ धरन्या सञ्चीर्ण उपवासो महामुने । कानि व्रतानि च तथा एतन्मे वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ ३९.२४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 39.24

Transliteration

satyatapā uvāca | ko'sau dharaṇyā sañcīrṇa upavāso mahāmune | kāni vratāni ca tathā etan me vaktum arhasi || 39.24 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

சத்தியதபா கூறினாள்—மகாமுனியே, பூமிக்காக மேற்கொள்ளப்படும் அந்த உபவாசம் எது? அதுபோல எந்தெந்த விரதங்கள் உள்ளன? இதை எனக்குச் சொல்லத் தகுதியுடையீர்।

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Word by Word

• सत्यतपाः: Satyatapā (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; speaker)
• Root: सत्यतपस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: क्रिया (Verb/action)
• Root: √वच् (धातु)

• कः: who? / what?
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject of implied ‘is’)
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• असौ: that (one)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; deictic)
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धरन्याः: of the earth
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)

• सञ्चीर्णः: performed; undertaken
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier of उपवासः)
• Root: सम्-√चर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• उपवासः: fast
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject of implied ‘is’)
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)

• महामुने: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मुनिः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: सम्बोधन (Address/Vocative)
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)

• कानि: which (ones)?
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object of implied ‘are’)
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• व्रतानि: vows
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Adverbial)
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• एतत्: this (matter)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मे: to me; for me
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular; enclitic)
• Role: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/for me)
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• Type: Verb
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), क्रियार्थ (purpose)
• Role: प्रयोजन (Purpose/Infinitive complement)
• Root: √वच् (धातु)

• अर्हसि: you ought; you are fit
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: क्रिया (Verb/action)
• Root: √अर्ह् (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• कोऽसौ = कः + असौ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + अ → ओऽ)
• एतन्मे = एतत् + मे (त् + म → न्म्)

Speaker and setting

Bhakti rasaSetting: Hermitage / teaching context

Speaker

Satyatapā

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She asks

What she asks

What specific upavāsa (fast) was undertaken for Earth’s sake, and what vratas should be observed similarly?

The teaching

Path

Dharma Jijñāsā

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticeEnvironmental StewardshipDialogue Literature

Core idea

Right action begins with right questioning; dharma is subtle and requires śāstra-guided clarification.

In practice

Before adopting vows/fasts, consult reliable textual/traditional sources and clarify purpose, timing, and procedure.

Dharma

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharma Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic pedagogical form: a named interlocutor asks a sage for clarification on ritual-ethical observances, indicating how dharma topics were transmitted through dialogue in Sanskrit narrative literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it references the Earth (dharaṇī) in a general sense rather than a particular tīrtha or region.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames ethical practice as inquiry-driven and accountable: it requests an explanation of fasting and vows connected to the welfare of the Earth, foregrounding disciplined observance as a theme rather than issuing a command.