Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 32

Ritadhvaja’s Aid to Galava and Andhaka’s Infatuation with Gauri

Devanagari script

मयतारपुरोगास्ते वारिता द्रावितास्तथा कुलिशोनाहतास्तूर्णं जग्मुर्भीता दिशो दश

Transliteration

mayatārapurogāste vāritā drāvitāstathā kuliśonāhatāstūrṇaṃ jagmurbhītā diśo daśa

Translation

Led by Mayatārā, they were checked and then put to flight; struck by the thunderbolt, they quickly fled in fear to the ten directions.

Word by Word

• मयतार-पुरोगाः: having Mayatāra in front / led by Mayatāra
• मयतार-पुरोगाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मयतार (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मयतारः पुरोगः येषाम्/येषां ते)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वारिताः: restrained / stopped
• वारिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वृ (धातु) → वारित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘having been restrained’

• द्राविताः: driven away / routed
• द्राविताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √द्रु/द्राव् (धातु) → द्रावित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: thus / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कुलिश-उना-हताः: struck down by the thunderbolt (Kuliśa) of Unā
• कुलिश-उना-हताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलिश (प्रातिपदिक) + उना (प्रातिपदिक) + हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘हत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कुलिशेन उना/उना-नाम्ना हताः)

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• भीताः: afraid
• भीताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भी (धातु) → भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘frightened’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (दिशः इति) स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle to the listening sage(s) (contextual; not explicit in the verse).

Primary Deities

• Indra (implied by kuliśa/vajra)
• Śiva’s gaṇa-host (contextual)

Key Themes

• Rout of hostile forces
• Divine weaponry (vajra/kuliśa)
• Cosmic battle imagery (ten directions)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Mayatārā’ in this verse?

The text treats Mayatārā as a proper-named leader at the head of a group being routed. Purāṇic battle catalogues often list commanders or prominent fighters; without additional surrounding verses, the safest reading is as a named figure leading the fleeing host.

Does ‘kuliśa’ necessarily mean Indra is present?

Kuliśa is the standard term for Indra’s vajra, so it strongly implies Indra’s agency or an Indra-like thunderbolt strike. Some Purāṇic passages also use ‘kuliśa’ more generally for a thunderbolt-like weapon; context usually clarifies whether Indra himself is acting.

What is the significance of ‘the ten directions’?

‘Diśo daśa’ is a conventional cosmographic expression indicating complete dispersal—flight in all quarters—signaling total defeat rather than a tactical retreat.