Varaha Purana 21.21: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 21

The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share

Pūrva Bhāga · Cosmology and Creation Accounts (Sarga-Prakaraṇa)

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तु काले पञ्चानां जातः सर्गो नरोत्तम । दिव्यानां पृथिवीस्थानां चतुर्णामरजातिनाम् ॥ २१.२२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.21

Transliteration

tasmiṃstu kāle pañcānāṃ jātaḥ sargo narottama | divyānāṃ pṛthivīsthānāṃ caturṇām arajātinām || 21.22 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ఆ సమయంలో, ఓ నరశ్రేష్ఠా, ఐదు విధాల సృష్టి ఉద్భవించింది—దివ్య సత్త్వాలది, భూమిపై నివసించువారిది, అలాగే ‘అర’ వంశ/జాతికి చెందిన నాలుగు వర్గాలది।

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Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (time)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• काले: at the time
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)

• पञ्चानाम्: of five
• Type: Noun
• Form: (सामान्यतः) षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; संख्याशब्द
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)

• जातः: born / arisen
• Type: Verb
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्गः इति विशेष्येण सह
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्गः: creation, emanation
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)

• नर-उत्तम: O best of men
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)

• दिव्यानाम्: of the divine
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of (जाति)नाम्)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• पृथिवीस्थानाम्: of those dwelling on earth
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: पृथिवी-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक; पृथिवी + स्थान)

• चतुर्णाम्: of four
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; संख्याशब्द
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)

• अरजातिनाम्: of the Ara lineages/classes
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: अर-जाति (प्रातिपदिक; अर + जाति)

Sandhi Notes

• तस्मिंस्तु = तस्मिन् + तु (न् + त् → ंस्त्)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Cosmic/temporal frame

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious; receiving cosmological classification within the Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue frame

What she asks

How did the categories of beings and lineages/groups arise in the early sarga (creation)?

The teaching

Path

Cosmology/ontology

Subjects

CosmologyGenealogical ClassificationMythic Anthropology

Core idea

Creation unfolds in ordered groupings (sarga) with distinct loci (divine vs. earth-abiding) and lineal classifications.

In practice

Cultivate discernment (viveka) about one’s place/duties by recognizing graded orders of being described in śāstra.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic method of organizing beings into enumerated categories (sarga/classifications), a common literary feature used to systematize cosmology and mythic anthropology.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific place-name is given here; the phrase pṛthivīsthānām (“those situated on the earth”) is a general terrestrial designation rather than a pinpointed geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse is primarily classificatory rather than prescriptive; its philosophical function is to frame an ordered cosmos by distinguishing divine and terrestrial domains and enumerated groups.