Vamana Purana — Rudra's Wrath & Kalarupa, Shloka 19

Rudra’s Wrath at Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Iconography of Kālarūpa through the Zodiac

Devanagari script

भगो/भिवीभ्य पूषाणं पतितं रुधिरोक्षितम् नेत्राभ्यां घोररूपाभ्यां वृषध्वजमवैक्षत

Transliteration

bhago/bhivībhya pūṣāṇaṃ patitaṃ rudhirokṣitam netrābhyāṃ ghorarūpābhyāṃ vṛṣadhvajamavaikṣata

Translation

ونظر بَغَ (Bhaga) مذعورًا إلى بوشَنَ ساقطًا مضرجًا بالدم، ثمّ بعينين ذواتي منظرٍ مهيبٍ مخيف ثبّت بصره على ڤريشادڤاجا (Vṛṣadhvaja)، أي شِيفا صاحب راية الثور.

Word by Word

• भगः: Bhaga (a deity)
• भगः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभिवीभ्य: having become afraid / fearing
• अभिवीभ्य: पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: abhi-vi-bhī (भी धातु (धातु) + अभि/वि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• पूषाणम्: Pūṣan
• पूषाणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūṣan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patita (कृदन्त; पत् धातु (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• रुधिर-उक्षितम्: sprinkled with blood
• रुधिर-उक्षितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudhira (प्रातिपदिक) + ukṣita (कृदन्त; उक्ष् धातु (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (रुधिरेण उक्षितम्)

• नेत्राभ्याम्: with (his) two eyes
• नेत्राभ्याम्: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन

• घोर-रूपाभ्याम्: of dreadful form
• घोर-रूपाभ्याम्: करण-विशेषण (instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय (घोरं रूपं ययोः) — नेत्रयोः विशेषणम्

• वृष-ध्वजम्: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, whose banner is the bull)
• वृष-ध्वजम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषस्य ध्वजः) — शिव-पर्यायः

• अवैक्षत: looked at / beheld
• अवैक्षत: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु (धातु) + अव-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Not explicit in the given excerpt; typically framed within Pulastya–Nārada narration in the Vāmana Purāṇa

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja)
• Bhaga
• Pūṣan

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Divine wrath and awe
• Ritual hierarchy (deities of yajña humbled)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes the overwhelming majesty of the divine when manifest as righteous fury: even gods tied to prosperity (Bhaga) and ritual order (Pūṣan) are not autonomous; reverence and humility before the supreme power are mandatory.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It aligns with Vaṃśānucarita/Carita-style narrative (accounts of deeds in cosmic history) rather than sarga/pratisarga; it is an episode describing divine action in the Deva–Asura continuum.

What is the symbolic significance?

Pūṣan’s bloodied fall symbolizes the limitation of mere ritual functionaries when confronted with transcendent sovereignty; Bhaga’s fear suggests that ‘bhaga’ (share/fortune) is contingent upon dharma and the supreme will, not guaranteed by status.