Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 20

Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)

Devanagari script

छिन्ने तु परिघे श्रीमान् प्रह्लादो दानवेश्वरः मुद्गरं भ्राम्य वेगेन प्रचिक्षेप नराग्रजे

Transliteration

chinne tu parighe śrīmān prahlādo dānaveśvaraḥ mudgaraṃ bhrāmya vegena pracikṣepa narāgraje

Translation

When his iron club (parigha) had been cut, the illustrious Prahlāda, lord of the Dānavas, whirling a mace with force, hurled it at the foremost of men.

Word by Word

• छिन्ने: when (it was) cut
• छिन्ने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (कृदन्त; √छिद् धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular), नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter) — past passive participle used adjectivally

• तु: but/then
• तु: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), adversative/emphatic

• परिघे: in/with the iron club/bar (parigha)
• परिघे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine)

• श्रीमान्: splendid, illustrious
• श्रीमान्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine)

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine)

• दानवेश्वरः: lord of the Dānavas
• दानवेश्वरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): दानवानाम् ईश्वरः

• मुद्गरम्: mace/hammer
• मुद्गरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine)

• भ्राम्य: whirling (it)
• भ्राम्य: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भ्राम्य (कृदन्त; √भ्रम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having whirled/caused to whirl’

• वेगेन: with force/speed
• वेगेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine)

• प्रचिक्षेप: he hurled/threw
• प्रचिक्षेप: क्रिया (main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष-एकवचन (3rd sg)

• नराग्रजे: at Narāgraja (the foremost/elder among men)
• नराग्रजे: सम्प्रदान/अधिकरण (target locus; toward/at)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अग्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नराणाम् अग्रजः (the elder among men)

Speakers

• Narrative layer not explicit in the given excerpt (commonly framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa)

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Dharma vs. Adharma
• Kshatriya martial ethos

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even after a setback (his parigha being cut), Prahlāda continues the contest with resolve—illustrating perseverance; yet the narrative also sets up the contrast between sheer force and the restraining power of dharma/skill on the opposing side.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This belongs to Vamśānucarita/Carita-style narration (accounts of notable figures and their deeds), presented as episodic heroic combat within the broader purāṇic storyline rather than cosmogenesis (sarga) or dissolution (pralaya).

What is the symbolic significance?

The cutting of one weapon followed by the casting of another is a stock epic motif: the daitya’s reliance on escalating physical power is met by a dhārmic counter that neutralizes violence without being overwhelmed by it.