Varaha Purana 94.61: Adhyaya 94, Shloka 61

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

Devanagari script

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवं स्तुता तदा देवी देवैः प्रणतिपूर्वकम् । उवाच देवान् सुश्रोणी वृणुध्वं वरमुत्तमम् ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 94.61

Transliteration

śrīvarāha uvāca | evaṃ stutā tadā devī devaiḥ praṇatipūrvakam | uvāca devān suśroṇī vṛṇudhvaṃ varam uttamam ||

Translation

ศรีวราหะตรัสว่า: ครั้นนั้นเหล่าเทพได้สรรเสริญเทวีด้วยการนอบน้อมบูชาก่อนแล้ว เทวีผู้มีสะโพกงามจึงตรัสแก่เหล่าเทพว่า “จงเลือกพรอันประเสริฐเถิด”

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Word by Word

• śrī-varāhaḥ: the revered Varāha
• śrī-varāhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + varāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: śrīmān varāhaḥ

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय)

• stutā: praised
• stutā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stu (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with devī

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• devī: the Goddess
• devī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• devaiḥ: by the gods
• devaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• praṇati-pūrvakam: with obeisance first / preceded by salutations
• praṇati-pūrvakam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: praṇati (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial compound (अव्ययीभाव), used as adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• devān: to the gods (them)
• devān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन)

• su-śroṇī: the fair-hipped lady (epithet of the Goddess)
• su-śroṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + śroṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहि epithet: śobhanā śroṇī yasyāḥ

• vṛṇudhvam: choose (for yourselves)
• vṛṇudhvam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• uttamam: best/supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with varam

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Purāṇic Narrative

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It shows the Purāṇic narrative convention of explicit speaker markers (uvāca) and the boon-bestowal motif, central to many Sanskrit narrative structures.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse highlights formal humility (praṇati) and reciprocal generosity (boon offering) as idealized social-religious conduct within the narrative.