Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 7
Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)
ततो नारायणं दैत्यो दैत्यं नारायणः शरैः आविध्येतां तदान्योन्यं मर्मभिद्भिरजिह्यगैः
tato nārāyaṇaṃ daityo daityaṃ nārāyaṇaḥ śaraiḥ āvidhyetāṃ tadānyonyaṃ marmabhidbhirajihyagaiḥ
Then the Daitya struck Nārāyaṇa, and Nārāyaṇa struck the Daitya with arrows; at that time they wounded one another with unerring shafts that pierced the vital points.
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FAQs
Even when the Divine enters the arena of conflict, the narrative underscores the gravity of violence: the language of ‘vital points’ (marma) highlights the real stakes, urging the listener toward dharma that prevents such escalation.
This is Vamśānucarita/Carita (deeds of beings) within the Purāṇic narrative stream; it is not a genealogical list itself but an event sequence tied to the exploits of key figures (here, Nārāyaṇa and a Daitya).
‘Unerring’ (ajihyaga) arrows suggest inevitability of karmic consequence: when antagonism reaches the level of marma-bheda (striking vital centers), the conflict becomes existential—mirroring how adharma targets the ‘core’ of order.