Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 62
Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti
ततस्तु दैत्येन वरास्त्रपाणिना चापे नियुक्तं तु पितामहास्त्रम् महेश्वरास्त्रं पुरुषोत्तमेव समं समाहत्य निपेततुस्तौ
tatastu daityena varāstrapāṇinā cāpe niyuktaṃ tu pitāmahāstram maheśvarāstraṃ puruṣottameva samaṃ samāhatya nipetatustau
তখন শ্রেষ্ঠ অস্ত্রধারী দানব ধনুকে পিতামহাস্ত্র (ব্রহ্মাস্ত্র) সংযোজিত করল। কিন্তু পুরুষোত্তম মহেশ্বরাস্ত্র দ্বারা সমভাবে প্রতিহত করায় উভয় অস্ত্রই একসঙ্গে নিস্তেজ হয়ে পতিত হল।
{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Power is not monopolized by one divine camp: the narrative normalizes that Viṣṇu can wield (or effectively deploy) Śiva’s potency (Maheśvarāstra), teaching that divine functions cooperate toward restoring dharma rather than competing sectarian supremacy.
Vamśānucarita/Carita (heroic narrative), with an implicit theological teaching typical of Purāṇas: harmonizing deities through shared authority over cosmic weapons.
The Brahmāstra (creation-authority) being met by Maheśvarāstra (transformative/dissolving authority) in Viṣṇu’s hands suggests a triadic balance—creation, preservation, dissolution—operating in concert; the ‘falling together’ signifies neutralization through higher equilibrium rather than mere destruction.