Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 35
Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Origin of Kapalin Rudra (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)
वक्त्राणि दृष्ट्वार्ऽकसमानि सद्यः पैतामहं वक्त्रमुवाच वाक्यम् समाहतस्याथ जलस्य बुद्बुदा भवन्ति किं तेषु पराक्रमो ऽस्ति
vaktrāṇi dṛṣṭvār'kasamāni sadyaḥ paitāmahaṃ vaktramuvāca vākyam samāhatasyātha jalasya budbudā bhavanti kiṃ teṣu parākramo 'sti
Seeing those faces, radiant like the sun, immediately the Grandfather (Brahmā) spoke words from his own mouth: ‘When water is struck, bubbles arise—what prowess is there in them?’
{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "hasya", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The verse depicts a lapse into contempt born of ego: dismissing another’s manifestation as ‘mere bubbles’ warns against evaluating the divine (or any being) through pride and superficial analogies.
Carita/Vamśānucarita mode: an episode illustrating inter-deity dynamics and moral instruction within the narrative flow rather than a genealogical list or pure cosmogenesis.
‘Bubbles in struck water’ symbolizes transient appearances; ironically, Brahmā misapplies it to the theophany, setting up the corrective action that follows—an archetypal Purāṇic motif where pride is curtailed to restore cosmic order.