Varaha Purana 25.3: Adhyaya 25, Shloka 3

The Birth of Ahaṅkāra as Guha/Skanda and His Appointment as Divine Commander

Devanagari script

पुरुषाव्यक्तयोर्मध्ये महत्त्वं समपद्यत । स चाहङ्कार इत्युक्तो यो महान् समुदाहृतः ॥ २५.३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 25.3

Transliteration

puruṣāvyaktayor madhye mahattvaṃ samapadyata | sa cāhaṃkāra ity ukto yo mahān samudāhṛtaḥ || 25.3 ||

Translation

ระหว่างปุรุษะกับอวฺยกฺตะ (อันไม่ปรากฏ) บังเกิดหลักมหัตตัตตวะ; หลักนั้นเองเรียกว่า ‘อะหังการะ’ และยังพรรณนาว่าเป็น ‘มหาน’ คือความยิ่งใหญ่ด้วย।

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Word by Word

• पुरुष-अव्यक्तयोः: between/of Puruṣa and the Unmanifest
• पुरुष-अव्यक्तयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः—पुरुषश्च अव्यक्तं च (genitive dual: ‘of Puruṣa and Avyakta’)

• मध्ये: in the middle/between
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• महत्त्वम्: mahat-tattva (cosmic intellect)
• महत्त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• समपद्यत: came into being/occurred
• समपद्यत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सः: that/he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अहङ्कारः: ego-principle (ahaṃkāra)
• अहङ्कारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यपरिसमाप्ति (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: is called
• उक्तः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; “called/said” (agreeing with सः/अहङ्कारः)

• यः: which/who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• महान्: great; Mahat
• महान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying यः/सः)

• समुदाहृतः: is proclaimed/declared
• समुदाहृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+आ√हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; “is declared/mentioned”

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmology
• Sāṃkhya
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects the Purāṇic adoption of Sāṃkhya-style tattva enumeration, showing how classical philosophical categories (Puruṣa, Avyakta, Mahat, Ahaṃkāra) were integrated into medieval Sanskrit cosmological exposition.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is doctrinal, describing cosmological/ontological principles rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not present a direct ethical injunction; its philosophical instruction is classificatory—defining the emergence and naming of key cosmological principles used for analytical understanding of experience.