Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 53

Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)

Devanagari script

कलासु मुख्या गणितज्ञता च विज्ञानमुख्येषु यथेन्द्रजालम् शाकेषु मुख्या त्वपि काकमाची रसेषु मुख्यं लवणं यथैव

Transliteration

kalāsu mukhyā gaṇitajñatā ca vijñānamukhyeṣu yathendrajālam śākeṣu mukhyā tvapi kākamācī raseṣu mukhyaṃ lavaṇaṃ yathaiva

Translation

«في الفنون، تُعَدُّ البراعةُ في الحساب أَولى؛ وفي فروع المعرفة الرفيعة يَتَقَدَّمُ الإِندْرَجَالَة (indrajāla—علم العجائب والوهم). وفي الخُضَر تَتَقَدَّمُ كاكَماجِي (kākamācī)؛ وفي الأذواق يَتَقَدَّمُ المِلْحُ كذلك.»

Word by Word

• कलासु: among arts
• कलासु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• मुख्या: chief/primary
• मुख्या: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (गणितज्ञता) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• गणितज्ञता: knowledge of mathematics
• गणितज्ञता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणित + ज्ञता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—गणितस्य ज्ञता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• विज्ञानमुख्येषु: among the chief sciences
• विज्ञानमुख्येषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; समासः—विज्ञानस्य मुख्य (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• इन्द्रजालम्: magic/illusion (indrajāla)
• इन्द्रजालम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रजाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—इन्द्रस्य जालम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• शाकेषु: among vegetables/greens
• शाकेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• मुख्या: chief
• मुख्या: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (काकमाची) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• काकमाची: kākamācī (a herb)
• काकमाची: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकमाची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रसेषु: among tastes/juices
• रसेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• मुख्यम्: chief
• मुख्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (लवणम्) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• लवणम्: salt
• लवणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

Speakers

• Not stated in the provided excerpt (commonly Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa frame
• but unconfirmed here).

Key Themes

• Didactic enumeration
• Hierarchy of virtues/skills
• Ayurvedic/culinary references
• Epistemic valuation (vijñāna)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse teaches discernment: within every domain (skills, knowledge-systems, foods, tastes) there are ‘principal’ elements that function as foundations—mathematics for structured arts, salt as a basic enhancer of taste, and so on. It encourages prioritizing essentials over the peripheral.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is not sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita/manvantara narrative material; it functions as ancillary didactic content (nīti/upadeśa) embedded within the Purāṇa’s broader discourse.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Gaṇita’ symbolizes order and measure; ‘indrajāla’ symbolizes the power (and ambiguity) of appearances; ‘salt’ symbolizes the indispensable ‘essence’ that makes experience intelligible. Together they contrast stable foundations with dazzling but potentially deceptive display.