Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 61

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

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच या या जायेय मे बुद्धिः सा सा विष्णो त्वदाश्रिता देवार्चने च निरता त्वच्चित्ता त्वत्परायणा

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca yā yā jāyeya me buddhiḥ sā sā viṣṇo tvadāśritā devārcane ca niratā tvaccittā tvatparāyaṇā

Translation

Prahlāda said: Whatever thoughts arise in my intellect—each and every one, O Viṣṇu, is dependent on you; engaged in worship of the Deva, with mind fixed on you, devoted wholly to you.

Word by Word

• prahlādaḥ: Prahlāda
• prahlādaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• yā: whatever (which)
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• yā: whatever
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• jāyeta: may arise
• jāyeta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; √jan ‘to arise/be born’

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic

• buddhiḥ: thought/mind
• buddhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sā: that
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sā: that (indeed)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic)

• viṣṇo: O Viṣṇu
• viṣṇo: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• tvad-āśritā: dependent on you
• tvad-āśritā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrita (कृदन्त; √śri धातु)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tvad-āśrita ‘dependent on you’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• deva-arcane: in worship of the gods
• deva-arcane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (devānām arcanam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• niratā: engaged/intent
• niratā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• tvac-cittā: mind fixed on you
• tvac-cittā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक) + citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: बहुव्रीहि (yasya cittam tvayi ‘whose mind is on you’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tvat-parāyaṇā: having you as the supreme goal/refuge
• tvat-parāyaṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: बहुव्रीहि (yasya parāyaṇam tvam ‘whose sole refuge is you’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speakers

• Prahlāda to Vishnu (Nārāyaṇa)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Bhakti
• Śaraṇāgati (refuge)
• Inner worship (citta-niyama)
• Devotional ethics beyond sectarian identity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The highest boon is not power but steadfast God-centered cognition: aligning buddhi and citta to the Divine makes worship continuous and converts all arising thoughts into devotion.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita/Carita with strong dharma-upadeśa (ethical instruction): Prahlāda’s exemplary devotion functions as normative teaching within the narrative lineage of Daityas.

What is the symbolic significance?

Prahlāda embodies the ‘devotee within the Asura’: the verse symbolizes transformation of the asuric tendency (self-assertion) into theistic dependence (tvadāśraya), making the mind itself a temple.