Varaha Purana 18.6: Adhyaya 18, Shloka 6

The Origin of Fire and the Liturgical Names of Agni

Devanagari script

तमप्यप्रीतिमत्तोयं विकारं समरोचयत् । विकुर्वतस्तस्य तदा महानग्निः समुत्थितः । कोटिज्वालापरीवारः शब्दवान् दहनात्मकः ॥ १८.६ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 18.6

Transliteration

tam apy aprītimat toyaṃ vikāraṃ samarocayat | vikurvatas tasya tadā mahān agniḥ samutthitaḥ | koṭijvālāparīvāraḥ śabdavān dahanātmakaḥ || 18.6 ||

Translation

แม้น้ำนั้นก็ด้วยความไม่พอใจยังยอมรับการแปรเปลี่ยน ครั้นเมื่อพระองค์ทรงกระทำการแปรนั้น ก็เกิดเพลิงใหญ่ผุดขึ้น—มีเปลวไฟนับโกฏิล้อมรอบ กึกก้องด้วยเสียง และมีสภาวะเผาไหม้

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Word by Word

• tam: him/that (entity)
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), additive/emphatic

• aprītimat: devoid of satisfaction/pleasure
• aprītimat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-prīti-mat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound: a- (नञ्) + prīti (प्रीति) + mat (मतुप्); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying toyaṃ

• toyam: water
• toyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vikāram: modification/change
• vikāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• samarocayat: caused (it) to manifest/appear; produced
• samarocayat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√ruc (रुच् धातु)
• Form: Causative (णिच्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vikurvataḥ: of (him/it) transforming
• vikurvataḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); of the one transforming

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• mahān: great
• mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying agniḥ

• agniḥ: fire
• agniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• samutthitaḥ: arisen/produced
• samutthitaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ut-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with agniḥ

• koṭi-jvālā-parīvāraḥ: having a retinue of crore(s) of flames
• koṭi-jvālā-parīvāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + jvālā (प्रातिपदिक) + parīvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास): koṭi-jvālā (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भव) + parīvāra; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying agniḥ

• śabdavān: resounding/noisy
• śabdavān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śabda-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Matup-derivative (वत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying agniḥ

• dahanātmakaḥ: of the nature of burning
• dahanātmakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dahana (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying agniḥ

Speaker

Varāha (default speaker within the Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework; not explicit in this fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Cosmological Motifs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative technique: cosmological or elemental events (here, the arising of fire) are framed as dramatic transformations that support the text’s broader mythic-historical worldview and its transmission of cultural memory.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse fragment; the imagery is cosmological/elemental rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds the consequences and intensity of transformative acts in the natural elements (water and fire), which can be read as a philosophical caution about disruptive change and the powerful, potentially hazardous dynamics within the natural order.