Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 13

Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Origin of Kapalin Rudra (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

अरिष्टनेमिनं चक्रे इध्माहरणकारिणम् भृगुं च मन्त्रसंस्कारे सम्यग् दक्षं प्रयुक्तवान्

Transliteration

ariṣṭaneminaṃ cakre idhmāharaṇakāriṇam bhṛguṃ ca mantrasaṃskāre samyag dakṣaṃ prayuktavān

Translation

وجعل أَرِشْطَنِيمِيَ مسؤولًا عن إحضار حُزَم الحطب (إِدْهْمَ) للقرابين. كما كلَّف بْهْرِغُو على الوجه الصحيح بسَمْسْكَارَةِ المانترا—أي تهيئتها وتقديسها وتنقيتها—وكان دَكْشَةُ مُحْسَنَ التوظيف في الطقس.

Word by Word

• अरिष्ट-नेमिनम्: Ariṣṭanemi
• अरिष्ट-नेमिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + नेमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; proper name

• चक्रे: appointed / made
• चक्रे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘he made/appointed’

• इध्म-आहरण-कारिणम्: as the fuel-bringer
• इध्म-आहरण-कारिणम्: Karma (कर्म; नियुक्ति-फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इध्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आहरण (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; predicate-object complement to अरिष्टनेमिनम्: ‘as one who brings fuel’

• भृगुम्: Bhṛgu
• भृगुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; conjunction

• मन्त्र-संस्कारे: in the mantra-ritual/consecration
• मन्त्र-संस्कारे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular ‘in the rite of mantra-consecration/processing’

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner adverb ‘properly, duly’

• दक्षम्: skilled
• दक्षम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; adjective qualifying भृगुम् (‘skilled’)

• प्रयुक्तवान्: employed / assigned
• प्रयुक्तवान्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रयुक्तवत् (कृदन्त; प्र+√युज् (धातु) + क्तवतुँ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; perfective periphrastic ‘employed/assigned’; subject understood (दक्षः)

Speakers

• Likely within the Pulastya → Nārada dialogue frame (standard for Vāmana Purāṇa)
• but not explicit in the excerpt

Key Themes

• Ritual order (yajña)
• Vedic roles and offices
• Prajāpati administration

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is sustained by right placement of responsibility: the sacrifice functions when each qualified agent performs a defined role with correctness (samyak).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / Manvantara-style administrative narration: it sketches the ordering of ritual and cosmic offices under Prajāpatis and ṛṣis rather than avatāra narrative.

What is the symbolic significance?

Fuel (idhmā) and mantra-saṃskāra represent the two pillars of yajña—material offering and sacred speech—requiring both logistical support (Ariṣṭanemi) and brahmarṣi authority (Bhṛgu).