Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 39

Ritadhvaja’s Aid to Galava and Andhaka’s Infatuation with Gauri

Devanagari script

कुट्टितः प्रवरैः शस्त्रैर्निपपात महीतले वीक्ष्यान्धकं निपतितं शतरूपा विभावरी

Transliteration

kuṭṭitaḥ pravaraiḥ śastrairnipapāta mahītale vīkṣyāndhakaṃ nipatitaṃ śatarūpā vibhāvarī

Translation

سُحِقَ بأسلحةٍ ممتازة فسقط على الأرض. ولمّا رأت شاتاروبا فيبهافاري (الإلهة في تلك الهيئة) أندهاكا ساقطًا، نظرت إليه.

Word by Word

• kuṭṭitaḥ: smashed/struck
• kuṭṭitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kuṭṭ (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pravaraiḥ: with excellent
• pravaraiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr/3rd), बहुवचन

• śastraiḥ: weapons
• śastraiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr/3rd), बहुवचन

• nipapāta: fell down
• nipapāta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-pat (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• mahītale: on the ground
• mahītale: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī-tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mahīyāḥ talaṃ = surface of the earth)

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vi-īkṣ (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• andhakam: Andhaka
• andhakam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन

• nipatitam: fallen
• nipatitam: Karma (कर्म/object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-pat (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śatarūpā: Śatarūpā
• śatarūpā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatarūpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन (proper name)

• vibhāvarī: the night (name/epithet)
• vibhāvarī: Karta (कर्ता/subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhāvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) continuing the battle account.

Primary Deities

• Devī (Śatarūpā/Vibhāvarī)

Key Themes

• Divine victory over the asura
• Multiplicity of Devī’s forms (śatarūpā)
• Martial imagery and cosmic order restored

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “śatarūpā” convey in Purāṇic theology?

Śatarūpā (“hundred-formed”/many-formed) signals Devī’s capacity to manifest innumerable appearances for protection, battle, and cosmic regulation. It is a theological shorthand for her omniform power rather than a literal count.

Are the “excellent weapons” (pravara-śastra) identified here?

Not in this śloka. The verse summarizes the effect—Andhaka is battered and falls—without cataloging the weapons. Such cataloging, when present, typically appears in adjacent verses or parallel Purāṇic tellings.

Does “mahītala” indicate a specific place?

No. It is a generic term for ‘the earth’s surface.’ Unlike tīrtha sections, this battle verse does not anchor the event to a named river, forest, or kṣetra.