Varaha Purana 21.40: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 40

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

Pūrva Bhāga · Pr̥thivī-uddhāra and Divine Conflict Narratives

Devanagari script

तत्र वेतालभूतानि कूष्माण्डा ग्रहपूतनाः । युयुधुर्लोकपालैश्च नानाशस्त्रधराणि च ॥ २१.४१ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.40

Transliteration

tatra vetālabhūtāni kūṣmāṇḍā grahapūtanāḥ | yuyudhur lokapālaiś ca nānāśastradharāṇi ca || 21.41 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

ณ ที่นั้น ภูตคล้ายเวตาล กูษมานฑะ และคระ-ปูตนาได้เข้าต่อสู้; ทั้งยังถือศาสตรานานาประการเข้าประจัญกับเหล่าโลกปาลด้วย

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Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक अव्यय/adverb of place)
• Role: देशाधिकरण (अधिकरण/Adhikaraṇa)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• वेताल-भूतानि: vetāla-spirits (ghosts)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (वेतालानि एव भूतानि)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)

• कूष्माण्डाः: kūṣmāṇḍas (goblin-like beings)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (प्रायः), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Root: कूष्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)

• ग्रह-पूतनाः: grahas and pūtanās (seizing spirits and witches)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (ग्रहाश्च पूतनाश्च)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + पूतना (प्रातिपदिक)

• युयुधुः: fought
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Root: युध् (धातु)

• लोकपालैः: with the guardians of the worlds
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य पालः)
• Role: सहकारक (सह/सहयोग/Instrumental of association)
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक: लोक + पाल)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• नाना-शस्त्र-धराणि: bearing various weapons
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (शस्त्रं धरन्ति) + नाना-पूर्वपद (various)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: also/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

Sandhi Notes

• लोकपालैश्च = लोकपालैः + च
• वेतालभूतानि resolved as वेताल-भूतानि
• नानाशस्त्रधराणि resolved as नाना-शस्त्र-धराणि

Speaker and setting

Raudra and Bhayanaka rasaSetting: Cosmic space

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Cosmic ecology of protection

Subjects

CosmologyMythic conflictProtective deities (Lokapālas)

Core idea

Order is maintained by guardianship at boundaries; when disruptive forces arise, protection must be multi-directional and comprehensive.

In practice

Strengthen ‘guardians’ in life—health, ethics, community safeguards—so disruptive influences (addictions, harmful company, panic) cannot ‘seize’ and destabilize the whole system.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Narrative
• Vaishnavism
• Mythology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies a common Purāṇic narrative idiom in which classes of supernatural beings are catalogued and set in conflict with cosmic guardians (Lokapālas), reflecting mythic cosmology rather than empirical history.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it describes a battle scene using cosmological actors (Lokapālas) rather than a locatable pilgrimage or regional setting.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not state an explicit ethical injunction; its philosophical function is descriptive, portraying the maintenance of cosmic order through conflict between disruptive forces and guardian powers.