Varaha Purana 31.8: Adhyaya 31, Shloka 8

The Manifestation of Viṣṇu’s Form for Cosmic Governance

the Vaiṣṇava Creation Narrative

Devanagari script

देवानां सर्वदा कार्यं कर्त्तव्यं ब्रह्मणस्तथा । सर्वज्ञत्वं च भवतु तव देव न संशयः ॥ ३१.८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 31.8

Transliteration

devānāṃ sarvadā kāryaṃ karttavyaṃ brahmaṇas tathā | sarvajñatvaṃ ca bhavatu tava deva na saṃśayaḥ || 31.8 ||

Translation

กิจของเหล่าเทวะพึงกระทำให้สำเร็จเสมอ และกิจของพระพรหมก็เช่นกัน และขอความเป็นผู้รู้ทั่วจงมีแก่ท่าน โอ้เทวะ—ปราศจากข้อสงสัย

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Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• कार्यम्: duty, task
• कार्यम्: कर्ता/कर्म (Impersonal predicate: ‘(it) is a duty’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that which is to be done’

• कर्त्तव्यम्: to be done, obligatory
• कर्त्तव्यम्: विधेय (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण to ‘कार्यम्’

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā / of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ब्रह्मन्); षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतार्थक (so, likewise)

• सर्व-ज्ञत्वम्: omniscience
• सर्व-ज्ञत्वम्: कर्ता (Subject of ‘भवतु’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक — ‘omniscience’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• भवतु: let there be / may it be
• भवतु: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘let it be’

• तव: of you / your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• न: no, not
• न: निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: कर्ता (Subject—‘doubt’ as predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Pṛthivī (default, as speaker is not explicit in the fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic literary theme: the articulation of cosmic roles and duties (kārya/karttavya) attributed to divine functionaries, presented within a dialogue framework typical of Purāṇa pedagogy.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse fragment; the content is focused on duty and attributed omniscience rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes the principle of fulfilling assigned responsibilities (karttavya) within an ordered cosmos, presenting duty-performance as a normative ideal.