Varaha Purana 97.26: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 26

The Glory of Rudra: The Origin of the Kapālamocana Pilgrimage Site and Rudra’s Expiatory Vow

Devanagari script

गङ्गायां देवदेवेशो यावन्मज्जति भामिनि॥ भवेत्कपालं पतितं हस्ताग्राद्ब्रह्मणः पुरा॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 97.26

Transliteration

gaṅgāyāṃ devadeveśo yāvan majjati bhāmini || bhavet kapālaṃ patitaṃ hastāgrād brahmaṇaḥ purā ||

Translation

โอ้ผู้เจิดจ้า ครั้นเมื่อพระผู้เป็นใหญ่แห่งเหล่าเทพดำดิ่งลงในคงคา กะโหลก—ซึ่งแต่ก่อน (ได้มา) จากพระพรหม—ก็ตกจากปลายนิ้วพระหัตถ์ของพระองค์

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Word by Word

• gaṅgāyām: in the Gaṅgā
• gaṅgāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• devadeveśaḥ: Lord of gods
• devadeveśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa ‘lord of gods’ (देवानां ईशः)

• yāvat: as long as / until
• yāvat: Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (कालाधिकरण/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; temporal limit marker (यावत् = ‘as long as/until’)

• majjati: immerses / sinks
• majjati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: majj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhāmini: O lovely one
• bhāmini: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavet: would be / might occur
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Liṅ (लिङ्, Optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• kapālam: skull
• kapālam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); subject of bhavet

• patitam: fallen
• patitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pat (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with kapālam

• hastāgrāt: from the tip of the hand
• hastāgrāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa ‘tip of the hand’ (हस्तस्य अग्रं)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• purā: formerly / long ago
• purā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (कालाधिकरण/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇa
• Sacred Rivers
• Cultural Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It associates release from a symbolic burden with immersion in the Gaṅgā, reflecting the Purāṇic role of rivers as cultural-ritual centers and as markers of sacred geography.

Which geographic location is identified?

The Gaṅgā (Ganges River), here within the Vārāṇasī setting implied by the preceding verse.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It conveys a theme of purification through disciplined approach to culturally significant landscapes, without framing it as coercive doctrine.