Varaha Purana 94.32: Adhyaya 94, Shloka 32

The Birth of Mahiṣāsura and the Goddess’s Victory as Mahīṣamardinī

Devanagari script

ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं यथा दैत्यबलं महत् । एवं तदाकुलं दृष्ट्वा महिषो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । सेनापते किमेतद्धि बलं भग्नं ममाग्रतः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 94.32

Transliteration

tato hāhākṛtaṃ sarvaṃ yathā daityabalaṃ mahat | evaṃ tad ākulaṃ dṛṣṭvā mahiṣo vākyam abravīt | senāpate kim etaddhi balaṃ bhagnaṃ mamāgrataḥ ||

Translation

จากนั้นกองทัพอสูรที่ยิ่งใหญ่ร้องไห้คร่ำครวญ เมื่อเห็นความโกลาหลนั้น มหิษะกล่าวว่า ท่านแม่ทัพ นี่คืออะไร กองทัพของข้าพเจ้าแตกพ่ายต่อหน้า

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Word by Word

• tatas: then
• tatas: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• hāhā-kṛtam: a cry of ‘hāhā’/uproar
• hāhā-kṛtam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāhā (अव्यय/उद्गार) + kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन); avyayībhāva: 'made into a cry of hāhā' i.e., uproar

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन), qualifying hāhā-kṛtam

• yathā: as/like
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), comparative particle (उपमान/प्रकार)

• daitya-balam: the Daitya army
• daitya-balam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: 'army of the Daityas'

• mahat: great/huge
• mahat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन), qualifying daitya-balam

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (प्रकारवाचक)

• tad: that
• tad: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन), qualifying ākulam

• ākulam: confused/agitated
• ākulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त), indeclinable gerund (अव्ययभाव)

• mahiṣaḥ: Mahiṣa (the buffalo-demon)
• mahiṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन)

• vākyam: speech/words
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, aorist), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) singular (एकवचन)

• senā-pate: O commander
• senā-pate: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: senā (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन) singular (एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: 'lord of the army'

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन), interrogative

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन), demonstrative

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात) for emphasis

• balam: army/force
• balam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• bhagnam: broken/defeated
• bhagnam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaj (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative singular (प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन), predicative with balam

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी) singular (एकवचन)

• agrataḥ: in front (of me)
• agrataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb of place (देशवाचक)

Speaker

Mahiṣa (Mahiṣāsura)

Tags

• Purāṇic Narrative
• Political-Military Discourse
• Classical Sanskrit Literature

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a recognizable military idiom (address to a senāpati) and dramatizes the breakdown of command confidence after sudden defeat.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is identified; the verse centers on battlefield communication and morale.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse implicitly underscores accountability in leadership: commanders must explain losses and respond to crisis rather than deny evident outcomes.