Varaha Purana 113.21: Adhyaya 113, Shloka 21

Hymn to Varāha and Pṛthivī’s Inquiry

Prelude to the Sanatkumāra Dialogue

Devanagari script

अन्यद्धिरण्यकशिपुर्वरदानेन दर्पितः ॥ असावपि नृसिंहेण वपुरास्थाय नाशितः

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 113.21

Transliteration

anyaddhiraṇyakaśipurvaradānena darpitaḥ || asāvapi nṛsiṃheṇa vapurāsthāya nāśitaḥ

Translation

اور ایک اور دشمن، ہِرنیکشیپو، جو ورِدان کے سبب غرور میں مبتلا تھا، تم نے نرسِمہ کا جسمانی روپ دھار کر اسے بھی ہلاک کر دیا۔

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• anyat: another time / otherwise
• anyat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially = ‘otherwise/another time’

• hiraṇyakaśipuḥ: Hiraṇyakaśipu
• hiraṇyakaśipuḥ: Kartā (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyakaśipu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vara-dānena: by the boon-gift (by a boon)
• vara-dānena: Karaṇa/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘varasya dānam’

• darpitaḥ: made proud / arrogant
• darpitaḥ: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: darpita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dṛp धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘hiraṇyakaśipuḥ’

• asau: he
• asau: Kartā (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (अदस्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• api: also / even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)

• nṛsiṃheṇa: by Narasiṃha
• nṛsiṃheṇa: Kartā (कर्ता) in passive construction / Agent (कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + siṃha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष sense): ‘nara-siṃhaḥ’ (man-lion)

• vapuḥ: a body / form
• vapuḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object) of ‘āsthāya’
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• āsthāya: having assumed
• āsthāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; ल्यप्), ‘having assumed’

• nāśitaḥ: was destroyed
• nāśitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) — passive predicate
• Type: Verb
• Root: nāśita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √naś/√nāś धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense ‘was destroyed’

Speaker

Pṛthivī

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Epic-Puranic Narratives
• Dharma and Kingship

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It cross-references a widely transmitted Narasiṃha cycle, illustrating how Purāṇas interlink narratives to reinforce ethical themes such as the limits of power secured through boons.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific earthly location is named here; the verse functions as a narrative allusion rather than a place-based description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Power obtained through exceptional favor (vara) can lead to moral arrogance (darpa), which is portrayed as self-defeating.