Varaha Purana 2.20: Adhyaya 2, Shloka 20

Cosmogony and the Ninefold Creation: Rudra’s Origin and the Prelude to the Sāvitrī-Veda Narrative

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । ससर्ज सर्वभूतानि यथा नारायणात्मकः । कथ्यमानं मया देवि तदशेषं क्षिते शृणु ॥ २.२० ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 2.20

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | sasarja sarvabhūtāni yathā nārāyaṇātmakaḥ | kathyamānaṃ mayā devi tadaśeṣaṃ kṣite śṛṇu || 2.20 ||

Translation

శ్రీభగవానుడు పలికెను—నారాయణాత్మక తత్త్వానుసారంగా, నారాయణస్వరూపుడై ఆయన సమస్త భూతములను సృష్టించెను. హే దేవి, హే క్షితీ, నేను చెప్పుచున్నదంతా సంపూర్ణంగా వినుము.

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Word by Word

• श्री-भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्री-भगवान्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + भगवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘the venerable Lord’ (honorific श्री-)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ससर्ज: created
• ससर्ज: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्व-भूतानि: all beings
• सर्व-भूतानि: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘all beings’

• यथा: as / in the manner that
• यथा: प्रकार (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/how)

• नारायण-आत्मकः: whose essence is Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण-आत्मकः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘having Nārāyaṇa as essence’; सः/ब्रह्मा इत्यर्थे विशेषण

• कथ्यमानम्: that which is being narrated
• कथ्यमानम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle, शानच्/मान), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘being told’—object of शृणु

• मया: by me
• मया: कर्ता-करण (Agent in instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; refers to narration

• अशेषम्: entire / without remainder
• अशेषम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण तत् प्रति

• क्षिते: O Earth
• क्षिते: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Varāha as instructor-voice)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: cosmological teaching delivered through an authoritative speaker (“Bhagavān”) to a personified listener (Earth), framing creation as a doctrinally structured exposition rather than a purely mythic episode.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific terrestrial site is named here; “kṣite/kṣiti” addresses Earth as a personified interlocutor rather than indicating a particular region.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily gives an epistemic instruction—attentive listening and complete transmission of knowledge—while situating creation within an ordered principle (nārāyaṇātmaka), which later Purāṇic contexts often connect to responsibility toward the world as a coherent, meaningful whole.