Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 30

Jabali Bound on the Banyan Tree and Nandayanti’s Appeal at Sri-Kantha on the Yamuna

Devanagari script

ततस्तामाह नृपतिर्बाले कामाग्निवारिणा मां समाह्लादयस्वाद्य स्वपरिष्वङ्गवारिणा

Transliteration

tatastāmāha nṛpatirbāle kāmāgnivāriṇā māṃ samāhlādayasvādya svapariṣvaṅgavāriṇā

Translation

Da sprach der König zu ihr: „O junges Mädchen, erquicke mich heute mit dem Wasser, das das Feuer der Begierde löscht — mit dem Wasser deiner eigenen Umarmung.“

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ताम्: to her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बाले: O girl
• बाले: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘O girl’

• काम-अग्नि-वारिणा: with the water for (quenching) the fire of desire
• काम-अग्नि-वारिणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वारि), तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास ‘कामरूपस्य अग्नेः वारिणा’ (instrumental: by/with the water)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाह्लादयस्व: gladden/refresh
• समाह्लादयस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + ह्लाद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage ‘gladden/refresh’

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• स्व-परिष्वङ्ग-वारिणा: with the water of your embrace
• स्व-परिष्वङ्ग-वारिणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + परिष्वङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वारि), तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास ‘स्वस्य परिष्वङ्गः (आलिङ्गनम्) तस्य वारिणा’

Speakers

• The king (nṛpati) addressing a young woman/maiden

Key Themes

• Kāma vs. Dharma (desire contrasted with moral order)
• Metaphorical diction (fire and water imagery)
• Royal conduct and restraint (implied ethical tension)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the function of the ‘fire and water’ imagery here?

The verse uses a conventional kāvya-style metaphor: erotic desire is ‘fire’ (kāmāgni) and physical intimacy is ‘water’ (vāri) that cools it. In Purāṇic narrative, such imagery often sets up a dharma-correction in subsequent verses.

Does the verse itself establish consent or dharmic legitimacy?

No. It records the king’s request in suggestive terms; the ethical evaluation is supplied by the woman’s reply in the following verses, which introduces kinship and dharma constraints.

Is any tīrtha or geographic marker embedded here (as often in Vāmana Purāṇa)?

Not in this śloka. It is purely dialogic and metaphorical, without place-names or pilgrimage cues.