Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 32

Chanda and Munda Discover Katyayani; Mahishasura’s Proposal and the Vishnu-Panjara Protection

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वाथ वाक्यं मयजो ऽब्रवीच्च शुल्कं वदस्वाम्बुजपत्रनेत्रे दद्यात्स्वमूर्धानमपि त्वदर्थे किं नाम शुल्कं यदिहैव तभ्यम्

Transliteration

śrutvātha vākyaṃ mayajo 'bravīcca śulkaṃ vadasvāmbujapatranetre dadyātsvamūrdhānamapi tvadarthe kiṃ nāma śulkaṃ yadihaiva tabhyam

Translation

Hearing her words, Maya’s son replied: “Name the śulka, O lotus-petal-eyed one. For your sake I would give even my own head. What indeed is the śulka—tell it here and now.”

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having heard

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then)

• वाक्यम्: speech, statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मयजः: Mayaja (son of Maya)
• मयजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मय + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मयस्य जः = son of Maya)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• शुल्कम्: bride-price
• शुल्कम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वदस्व: tell (me)
• वदस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• अम्बुजपत्रनेत्रे: O lotus-petal-eyed one
• अम्बुजपत्रनेत्रे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुज + पत्र + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अम्बुजस्य पत्रम् इव नेत्रे यस्याः)

• दद्यात्: would give / should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वमूर्धानम्: his own head
• स्वमूर्धानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वः मूर्धा = one’s own head)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (even/also)

• त्वदर्थे: for your sake
• त्वदर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्वस्य अर्थः)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• नाम: indeed, pray
• नाम: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-निपात (emphatic interrogative: pray/indeed)

• शुल्कम्: the bride-price
• शुल्कम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (just/only)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speakers

• Maya’s son replying to Kātyāyanī; narrated within Pulastya’s discourse

Primary Deities

• Durgā (Kātyāyanī)

Key Themes

• Dharma (fulfilling śulka)
• Vīrya/resolve (self-sacrifice motif)
• Courtship rhetoric
• Daitya ethos

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "shringara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Desire is disciplined by obligation: the daitya’s intensity is redirected into a vow-like readiness to meet conditions. The ethical lesson is that commitment is proven by willingness to bear cost, not by boasts of dominion.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vaṃśānucarita (episode narrative) with a didactic overlay about dharma in social contracts. It remains within the story-layer rather than cosmological categories.

What is the symbolic significance?

Offering one’s head is a hyperbolic symbol of ego-surrender, foreshadowing a theme common in Purāṇas: true ‘worthiness’ is measured by submission to a higher order (dharma/daivī-śakti), not merely martial success.