Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 62
Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti
ततस्तु दैत्येन वरास्त्रपाणिना चापे नियुक्तं तु पितामहास्त्रम् महेश्वरास्त्रं पुरुषोत्तमेव समं समाहत्य निपेततुस्तौ
tatastu daityena varāstrapāṇinā cāpe niyuktaṃ tu pitāmahāstram maheśvarāstraṃ puruṣottameva samaṃ samāhatya nipetatustau
ثم إنّ الدَّيتيا، وهو حاملُ سلاحٍ فائق، ركّب على قوسه سلاحَ «بيتامها» (البراهماأسترا). غير أنّ بوروشوتّما قابله على السواء بسلاح «ماهيشڤرا»، فسقط السِّلاحان معًا وقد تلاشى أثرهما.
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FAQs
Power is not monopolized by one divine camp: the narrative normalizes that Viṣṇu can wield (or effectively deploy) Śiva’s potency (Maheśvarāstra), teaching that divine functions cooperate toward restoring dharma rather than competing sectarian supremacy.
Vamśānucarita/Carita (heroic narrative), with an implicit theological teaching typical of Purāṇas: harmonizing deities through shared authority over cosmic weapons.
The Brahmāstra (creation-authority) being met by Maheśvarāstra (transformative/dissolving authority) in Viṣṇu’s hands suggests a triadic balance—creation, preservation, dissolution—operating in concert; the ‘falling together’ signifies neutralization through higher equilibrium rather than mere destruction.