Vamana Purana — Shiva's Wedding Procession (Part 2), Shloka 24

Shiva’s Wedding Procession to Kailasa and the Marriage of Girija (Kali)

Devanagari script

माल्यार्द्धमन्या चादाय करेणैकेन भामिनी केशपाशं द्वितीयेन शङ्कराभिमुखी गता

Transliteration

mālyārddhamanyā cādāya kareṇaikena bhāminī keśapāśaṃ dvitīyena śaṅkarābhimukhī gatā

Translation

وامرأةٌ أخرى متقدةُ الشوق، أخذت بيدٍ نصفَ إكليلٍ من الزهر، وبالأخرى أمسكت ضفيرتها، ومضت متجهةً نحو شانكَرا (شِيفا).

Word by Word

• माल्य-अर्धम्: half a garland
• माल्य-अर्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālya-ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: माल्यस्य अर्धम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अन्या: another (woman)
• अन्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• करेण: with (her) hand
• करेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘करेण’ इति विशेषण

• भामिनी: a lovely/impassioned woman
• भामिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केशपाशम्: tress of hair
• केशपाशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśa-pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: केशानां पाशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• द्वितीयेन: with the second (hand)
• द्वितीयेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘करेण’ (अनुक्त) इति अध्याहार्य-विशेषण

• शङ्कर-अभिमुखी: facing Śaṅkara
• शङ्कर-अभिमुखी: Kriyā-samānādhikaraṇa (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkara-abhimukhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: शङ्करं अभिमुखी (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

• गता: went
• गता: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अगच्छत्’ इत्यर्थे

Speakers

• Not explicit in given verses (likely within Pulastya–Nārada narrative frame
• but unconfirmed from excerpt alone)

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Bhakti
• Darśana
• Rasa/poetic depiction of devotional haste

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Devotion is shown as immediate and bodily: the devotee does not wait for perfect preparation. Even incomplete adornment (half a garland) becomes acceptable when the heart is set on approaching the deity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Episode narration (carita) within a larger account: it illustrates devotional culture and temple/visit dynamics rather than cosmology or genealogies.

What is the symbolic significance?

The half-garland and the hand holding the hair-braid symbolize ‘unfinished worldly order’—outer propriety is suspended because inner orientation is fixed on Śiva. The phrase śaṅkarābhimukhī underscores the Purāṇic ideal that liberation-oriented life begins with turning one’s face (attention) toward the Lord.