Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 5

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

नरनारायणाभ्यां च जगदेतच्चराचरम् तापितं तपसा ब्रह्मन् शक्रः क्षोभं तदा ययौ

Transliteration

naranārāyaṇābhyāṃ ca jagadetaccarācaram tāpitaṃ tapasā brahman śakraḥ kṣobhaṃ tadā yayau

Translation

By Nara and Nārāyaṇa, this entire world—moving and unmoving—was heated (made to tremble) by austerity. Then, O Brahmin, Śakra (Indra) became agitated and went into alarm.

Word by Word

• नरनारायणाभ्याम्: by Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणाभ्याम्: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास

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

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जगत्)

• चराचरम्: moving and unmoving
• चराचरम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (moving and unmoving) used adjectivally for जगत्

• तापितम्: was heated/afflicted
• तापितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्षोभम्: agitation, disturbance
• क्षोभम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ययौ: went/attained
• ययौ: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speakers

• Dialogue framework not specified in the provided excerpt (often Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa
• but not inferable here).

Primary Deities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Tapas (ascetic power)
• Deva anxiety over tapas
• Testing of sages
• Vaishnavism

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Tapas is portrayed as a real cosmic force: disciplined restraint and spiritual effort can shake even the gods. Ethically, it cautions that power rooted in self-mastery is superior to power rooted in office (like Indra’s kingship), and that fear-driven responses to virtue often lead to further moral compromise.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best classified under Vamśānucarita/Carita-type narrative material (accounts of sages and divine figures) rather than sarga/pratisarga. It functions as a recurrent purāṇic motif: Indra’s insecurity when confronted with extraordinary tapas.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Heating the world’ symbolizes the transformative intensity of inner discipline: tapas ‘cooks’ impurities and destabilizes complacent cosmic order. Indra’s agitation symbolizes the ego’s fear when confronted by genuine spiritual authority.