Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 72

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

त्वष्ट्रे नमो नमस्ते ऽस्तु सम्यगुच्चार्य शूलधृक् ननर्त भावगम्भीरं दोर्दण्डं भ्रामयन् बलात्

Transliteration

tvaṣṭre namo namaste 'stu samyaguccārya śūladhṛk nanarta bhāvagambhīraṃ dordaṇḍaṃ bhrāmayan balāt

Translation

Having correctly uttered, “Homage to Tvaṣṭṛ; may there be repeated salutations to you,” the trident-bearer danced with profound emotion, forcefully whirling his forearm like a staff.

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing Śiva’s action; direct address embedded as a mantra-like salutation to Tvaṣṭṛ.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Śūladhṛk)
• Tvaṣṭṛ

Key Themes

• Mantra correctness (samyag-uccāraṇa)
• Śaiva ritual aesthetics (nṛtya)
• Embodied devotion (bhāva)
• Divine craftsmanship symbolism (Tvaṣṭṛ)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is Tvaṣṭṛ, and why might he be invoked in a Śaiva setting?

Tvaṣṭṛ is a Vedic deity associated with fashioning forms and divine craftsmanship. In Purāṇic usage, invoking Tvaṣṭṛ can signal the cosmic ‘shaping’ power behind manifestation; a Śaiva context can incorporate such Vedic deities as part of a broader pantheon acknowledging multiple functional aspects of the divine order.

What does “samyag uccārya” imply about the ritual frame of the scene?

It indicates that the utterance is treated as a formal recitation where phonetic precision matters—suggesting a mantra-like or liturgical register rather than casual speech.

Is the ‘dance’ here purely aesthetic or also theological?

Both. Śiva’s nṛtya is a theological motif: movement embodies power (śakti), emotion (bhāva), and cosmic dynamism. The physical detail of whirling the arm underscores controlled force and divine vigor.