Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 86

Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds

Devanagari script

लावकेनामुनाचञ्च्वा खातं द्व्यंङ्गुप्रलमबुनि । ततः कालान्तरे तेन वाराहेण नृपोत्तम ॥ ८७ ॥

Transliteration

lāvakenāmunācañcvā khātaṃ dvyaṃṅgupralamabuni | tataḥ kālāntare tena vārāheṇa nṛpottama || 87 ||

Translation

లావక అనే ఆ వరాహుడు తన ముక్కుతో త్రవ్వి భూమిని రెండు అంగుళాల లోతు వరకు విస్తరింపజేసెను. తరువాత కొంత కాలానంతరం, ఓ నృపోత్తమా, అదే వరాహుడు అక్కడ మళ్లీ కార్యం చేసెను.

Word by Word

• लावकेन: by the lāvaka (a bird/creature; context-specific)
• लावकेन: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument ‘by’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• अमुना: by this/that (one)
• अमुना: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• चञ्च्वा: with the beak
• चञ्च्वा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चञ्चू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• खातम्: dug
• खातम्: Karma (कर्म/Patient; ‘was dug’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन)

• द्वि-अङ्गु-प्रलम्बम्: two-finger-breadths long
• द्वि-अङ्गु-प्रलम्बम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Measure qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + अङ्गु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) measure-compound: ‘two-aṅgula long’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies (खातम्) understood as ‘a pit’

• अम्बुनि: in water
• अम्बुनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), sequence ‘from then/thereafter’

• काल-अन्तरे: after some time
• काल-अन्तरे: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष): ‘in the interval of time’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• तेन: by him/that
• तेन: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument ‘by’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• वाराहेण: by the boar
• वाराहेण: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument ‘by’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• नृप-उत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-उत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष): ‘best of kings’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating to the assembled sages), within a dialogue context of Purāṇic narration

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Varāha (boar form / boar figure)
• Lāvaka
• Nṛpottama (address to a king)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

The boar’s digging acts as symbolic Purāṇic imagery of uncovering and restoring what is hidden—often read as the recovery of order (dharma) from obscurity through divine or providential action.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

While not explicitly a bhakti instruction, it supports bhakti’s worldview: sacred history portrays divine agency (or divinely guided events) operating in time, encouraging reverence and trust in the Purāṇic order upheld by Viṣṇu-associated motifs like Varāha.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse uses traditional measurement language (aṅgula), aligning with practical śāstric conventions of quantification used across ritual and architectural disciplines, though it is not a direct Vedāṅga teaching passage.