Varaha Purana 21.70: Adhyaya 21, Shloka 70

The Disruption of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice, the Hari-Hara Conflict, and the Establishment of Rudra’s Sacrificial Share

Pūrva Bhāga · Śiva-stuti (Protective Hymn within the Narrative Frame)

Devanagari script

सिताङ्गरागाप्रतिपन्नमूर्ते कपालधारिं त्रिपुरघ्न देव । प्रपाहि नः सर्वभयेषु चैव उमापते पुष्करनालजन्म ॥ २१.७१ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 21.70

Transliteration

sitāṅgarāgāpratipannamūrte kapāladhāriṁ tripuraghna deva | prapāhi naḥ sarvabhayeṣu caiva umāpate puṣkaranālajanma || 21.71 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Ôi thần linh mang thân tướng được xức bằng hương dược trắng nhạt; ôi Đấng mang sọ; ôi Đấng diệt Tripura—xin che chở chúng con trong mọi hiểm nạn. Ôi phu quân của Umā, ôi Đấng sinh từ cuống sen, xin hộ trì chúng con.

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Word by Word

• सित-अङ्ग-राग-प्रतिपन्न-मूर्ते: O you whose form is covered with white body-ash
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग-सम्बोधनरूपेण (addressing the deity); बहुव्रीहिसमासः—“सिताङ्गरागेन प्रतिपन्ना मूर्तिर्यस्य”
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + राग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिपन्न (कृदन्त, √पद्/√पद्-प्रति) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)

• कपाल-धारिणम्: the skull-bearer
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः—कपालं धारयतीति
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• त्रिपुर-घ्न: O slayer of Tripura
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—त्रिपुरं हन्तीति
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: त्रिपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √हन्)

• देव: O god
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रपाहि: protect (us)
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: √पा (धातु)

• नः: us / for us
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनबहुवचनयोः (Genitive/Dative enclitic), “of us / to us”
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्व-भयेषु: in all fears/dangers
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः—सर्वाणि भयानीति
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• उमा-पते: O lord of Umā
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुषः—उमायाः पतिः
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)

• पुष्कर-नाल-जन्मन्: O lotus-stalk-born (Brahmā)
• Type: Noun
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुषः—पुष्करनाले जन्म यस्य (i.e., lotus-stalk-born)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• सिताङ्गरागाप्रतिपन्नमूर्ते = सित-अङ्ग-राग-प्रतिपन्न-मूर्ते
• कपालधारिं = कपाल-धारिणम्
• सर्वभयेषु = सर्व-भयेषु
• चैव = च एव
• उमापते = उमा-पते
• पुष्करनालजन्म = पुष्कर-नाल-जन्मन् (सम्बोधन)

Speaker and setting

Bhakti and Bhayanaka rasa

Speaker

Pṛthivī

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

She worships

Her state of mind

Fearful yet trusting, seeking refuge

What she asks

Will the deity protect us in all dangers and fears?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Abhaya through surrender

Subjects

Devotional HymnologyProtective PrayerTheology (Śaiva epithets)Poetics

Core idea

Invoking the divine protector in moments of fear transforms fear into reliance on the transcendent.

In practice

Use short protective recitations (stuti) during crises; pair with ethical steadiness to reduce ‘sarva-bhaya’ (all fears).

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Sanskrit Hymns
• Inter-sectarian Motifs

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a compact Śiva-stuti using well-known Purāṇic epithets (e.g., Tripuraghna, Kapāladhārin), illustrating how Purāṇic compilations often embed hymn-like verses within broader narrative or didactic frames.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it functions primarily as an invocation for protection rather than a description of sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds a cultural-philosophical practice of seeking protection and composure amid fear through formalized praise and remembrance of a deity’s attributes.