Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

एवं पुरा देववरेण शंभुना तद्वैष्णवं पञ्जरमायताक्ष्याः प्रोक्तं तया चापि हि पादघातैर्निषूदितो ऽसौ महिषासुरेन्द्रः

Transliteration

evaṃ purā devavareṇa śaṃbhunā tadvaiṣṇavaṃ pañjaramāyatākṣyāḥ proktaṃ tayā cāpi hi pādaghātairniṣūdito 'sau mahiṣāsurendraḥ

Translation

Thus, in former times, that Vaiṣṇava ‘Pañjara’ (protective formula) was taught by Śambhu, the best of the gods, to the wide-eyed goddess; and by her—indeed—through blows of her feet, that lord of the Mahiṣa-asuras was slain.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (manner adverb)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• deva-vareṇa: by the best of the gods
• deva-vareṇa: Karaṇa (करण/agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास ('best god'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), एकवचन

• śaṃbhunā: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhunā: Karaṇa (करण/agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; vaiṣṇavam pañjaram इति विशेषणम्

• vaiṣṇavam: Viṣṇu-related; Vaiṣṇava
• vaiṣṇavam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + aṇ (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त विशेषण (vaiṣṇava), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; pañjaram इति विशेषणम्

• pañjaram: protective enclosure/armor
• pañjaram: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañjara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; proktam इत्यस्य कर्म

• āyatākṣyāḥ: of the long-eyed (goddess)
• āyatākṣyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyata (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि समास ('she whose eyes are long'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Gen./6th), एकवचन

• proktam: was spoken
• proktam: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'spoken/declared'

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karaṇa (करण/agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; also/even)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• pāda-ghātaiḥ: with foot-blows
• pāda-ghātaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + ghāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास ('blows with the foot'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), बहुवचन

• niṣūditaḥ: was slain
• niṣūditaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niṣ+sad/ sūd (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'slain/destroyed'

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (demonstrative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mahiṣa-asura-indraḥ: Mahīṣāsura, lord of the asuras
• mahiṣa-asura-indraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (determinative: 'lord of the buffalo-demons'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator within the Purāṇic dialogue (often Pulastya → Nārada; confirmation requires chapter frame).

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Śambhu)
• Viṣṇu (Vaiṣṇava pañjara)
• Durgā
• Mahiṣāsura

Key Themes

• Sectarian Harmony
• Shaiva-Vaishnava Synthesis
• Śakti
• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Ritual Protection (kavaca)
• Mythic Etiology (origin of a protective formula)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse teaches cooperative divinity: Śiva transmits a Vaiṣṇava protection, and Śakti executes the victory. Ethically, it discourages sectarian exclusivism—spiritual power is not diminished by honoring multiple divine modalities working toward dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa?

It is primarily Vamśānucarita/ākhyāna (narrative tradition) with a secondary ritual-didactic function (kavaca-pravacana). It does not directly serve sarga/pratisarga but supports Purāṇic instruction through exemplum.

What is the symbolic significance?

Śiva teaching a Vaiṣṇava ‘armor’ symbolizes the non-duality/complementarity of Hari and Hara in the Vāmana Purāṇa’s style. Durgā’s ‘foot-strikes’ can signify the grounding force of embodied śakti that tramples egoic, bestial ignorance (Mahiṣa).