Shloka 11

शारभावतारवर्णनम्

Account of Śiva’s Śārabha Manifestation and the Measureless Avatāras

Devanagari script

पृथ्व्युद्धारे विधात्रा व प्रार्थितो हि पुरा प्रभुः । हिरण्याक्षं जघानासौ विष्णुर्वाराहरूपधृक्

Transliteration

pṛthvyuddhāre vidhātrā va prārthito hi purā prabhuḥ | hiraṇyākṣaṃ jaghānāsau viṣṇurvārāharūpadhṛk

Translation

పూర్వకాలంలో భూమి उद्धారార్థం విధాత (బ్రహ్మ) ప్రభువును ప్రార్థించెను; అప్పుడు వరాహరూపధారి విష్ణువు హిరణ్యాక్షుని సంహరించి భూమిని పైకి ఎత్తి రక్షించెను।

Word by Word

• पृथ्वी-उद्धारे: in the rescue of the earth
• पृथ्वी-उद्धारे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Context/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘in/at the lifting of the earth’

• विधात्रा: by the Creator (Brahmā)
• विधात्रा: करण/कर्ता-साधन (Instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental agent ‘by the Creator (Brahmā)’

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• प्रार्थितः: was entreated, was requested
• प्रार्थितः: विधेय (Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicative of ‘प्रभुः’

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) for emphasis/reason

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हिरण्याक्षम्: Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्याक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जघान: slew, killed
• जघान: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘he slew’

• असौ: that (one), he
• असौ: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; in apposition to ‘असौ’

• वाराह-रूप-धृक्: bearing the boar form
• वाराह-रूप-धृक्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धृक्/धृ (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘one who holds/assumes the boar-form’ (धृक् = धृ-धातोः क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Earth-rescue (pṛthvī-uddhāra) episode; a localized pralaya-like submergence motif.

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Hiranyaksha
• Varaha

FAQs

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

It presents divine grace responding to sincere prayer: when cosmic balance is threatened, the Lord manifests a saving form to restore dharma—teaching devotees to rely on the Supreme’s protective power and compassionate intervention.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Though the episode names Viṣṇu’s Varāha form, the Shiva Purana frames such saguna manifestations as functions within the one Supreme reality; Linga-worship trains the mind to see the transcendent Lord behind all forms and actions that uphold the cosmos.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is prayerful surrender (śaraṇāgati): chant the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with steady attention, and reinforce devotion with simple Shaiva disciplines like applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and japa as a remembrance of divine protection.