Vamana Purana — Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas, Shloka 24

Sukesha’s Boon, the Twelve Dharmas of Beings, and the Cosmography of the Seven Dvipas with the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

जितेन्द्रियत्वं शौचं च माङ्गल्यं भक्तिरच्युते शङ्करे भास्करे देव्यां धर्मो ऽयं मानवः स्मृतः

Transliteration

jitendriyatvaṃ śaucaṃ ca māṅgalyaṃ bhaktiracyute śaṅkare bhāskare devyāṃ dharmo 'yaṃ mānavaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

ইন্দ্ৰিয়জয়, শৌচ, মঙ্গল আচৰণ আৰু অচ্যুতত ভক্তি; লগতে শংকৰ, ভাস্কৰ আৰু দেবীৰ প্ৰতি শ্ৰদ্ধা—ইয়াকেই মানবধৰ্ম বুলি সোঁৱৰণ কৰা হয়।

Word by Word

• जितेन्द्रियत्वम्: state of having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• शौचम्: purity; cleanliness
• शौचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• माङ्गल्यम्: auspiciousness
• माङ्गल्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माङ्गल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• अच्युते: in/unto Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• अच्युते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• शङ्करे: in/unto Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• भास्करे: in/unto Bhāskara (Sun)
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• देव्याम्: in/unto the Goddess
• देव्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun; nominative singular)

• मानवः: human; pertaining to humans
• मानवः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular); विशेषण

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (past passive participle used predicatively)

Speakers

• Not specified in input (likely within Pulastya–Nārada discourse framework)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Acyuta)
• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Surya (Bhāskara)
• Devi (Devī/Śakti)

Key Themes

• Sectarian harmony
• Bhakti
• Purity (śauca)
• Self-mastery (jitendriya)
• Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Human dharma is framed as both ethical discipline (sense-control, purity, auspicious conduct) and devotional orientation. Importantly, devotion is not sect-limited: while bhakti to Viṣṇu (Acyuta) is highlighted, reverence is also extended to Śiva, Sūrya, and Devī—presenting a broad, integrative religious ethic.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is primarily dharma-ācāra/upanibandha instruction within the Purāṇa rather than one of the five defining narrative topics. It also reflects the Purāṇic function of teaching sādhāraṇa-dharma (universal duties) alongside mythic cosmology and genealogies.

What is the symbolic significance?

By naming Acyuta (Viṣṇu) alongside Śaṅkara (Śiva), Bhāskara (Sūrya), and Devī, the text symbolically maps dharma onto a ‘complete’ sacred cosmos: preservation (Viṣṇu), transformation (Śiva), illumination/order (Sūrya), and power/nurture (Devī). This supports the Vāmana Purāṇa’s non-sectarian theological grammar.