Vamana Purana — Harihara Revelation, Shloka 38

Harihara Revelation and the Kurukshetra Tirtha Cycle: Sthanu in Vishnu and the Sanctification of Saptasarasvata

Devanagari script

तत् तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणः सनकाग्रजः उवाचैषां विशेषं मे ब्रह्मन् व्याख्यातुमहसि

Transliteration

tat tasya vacanaṃ śrutvā brahmaṇaḥ sanakāgrajaḥ uvācaiṣāṃ viśeṣaṃ me brahman vyākhyātumahasi

Translation

فلما سمع قوله قال الأخ الأكبر لسنكا (وهو من أبناء براهما): «يا أيها البراهمن، ينبغي لك أن تشرح لي الفَرْقَ الخاصّ (viśeṣa) لهؤلاء».

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Pronoun, Accusative singular

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action/क्त्वा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); having heard

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• सनकाग्रजः: the elder brother of Sanaka
• सनकाग्रजः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक + अग्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• विशेषम्: distinction/special point
• विशेषम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• मे: to me/for me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic); Genitive/Dative singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmā
• ब्रह्मन्: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• व्याख्यातुम्: to explain
• व्याख्यातुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/तुमुन्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); to explain

• अर्हसि: you ought/are able
• अर्हसि: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Sanaka’s elder brother (a mind-born son of Brahmā) addressing ‘Brahman’ (the authoritative expounder in the dialogue).

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Dialogic clarification in dharma teaching
• Authority and inquiry (praśna–uttara)
• Definition of social/legal categories

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Sanaka’s elder brother’ in Purāṇic usage?

Sanaka belongs to the group of Brahmā’s mind-born sages (mānasaputras). ‘Sanakāgraja’ denotes an elder among that fraternity; different traditions enumerate them slightly differently, but the intent is a Brahmā-born sage requesting clarification.

What is the function of this verse in the passage?

It supplies the dialogue frame: after a rule/list is stated, a qualified interlocutor asks for viśeṣa (precise distinctions), prompting a more detailed exposition in subsequent verses.

Does this verse connect to Vāmana/Trivikrama or tīrtha geography?

Not directly. This unit is a dharma-legal discussion. No avatāra action or sacred geography is named in these ślokas.