Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

नेत्रत्रयं हिरण्याक्ष नर्मार्थमुमया मम पिहितं योगसंस्थस्य ततो ऽन्धमभवत्तमः

Transliteration

netratrayaṃ hiraṇyākṣa narmārthamumayā mama pihitaṃ yogasaṃsthasya tato 'ndhamabhavattamaḥ

Translation

O Hiraṇyākṣa, zum Spiel bedeckte Umā meine drei Augen, während ich im Yoga gegründet war; daraus entstand Finsternis (tamas) — und so wurde er blind.

Word by Word

• नेत्र-त्रयम्: the three eyes
• नेत्र-त्रयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अत्र—द्वितीया (object); समासः—द्विगु (त्रयाणि नेत्राणि)

• हिरण्याक्ष: O Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्ष: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्याक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• नर्म-अर्थम्: for sport/jest
• नर्म-अर्थम्: Hetu/Prayojana (हेतु/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मणः अर्थः)

• उमया: by Umā
• उमया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्

• पिहितम्: was covered/closed
• पिहितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पि-धा/पिधा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अत्र—प्रथमा (predicate)

• योग-संस्थस्य: of (him) who was absorbed in yoga
• योग-संस्थस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, सम्-स्था) (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (योगे संस्थः = योगसंस्थः)

• ततः: thereupon/from that
• ततः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• अन्धम्: blind/darkened
• अन्धम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अत्र—प्रथमा (predicate adjective)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speakers

• Śiva speaking (first-person ‘mama’) to Hiraṇyākṣa (vocative) within the Andhaka origin explanation

Primary Deities

• Śiva
• Umā (Pārvatī)

Key Themes

• Play (līlā/narma) within divine household
• Cosmic consequence of covering Śiva’s eyes (darkness)
• Yoga and divine power
• Etiology of blindness (Andhaka)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How does Umā covering Śiva’s eyes relate to the birth/condition of Andhaka?

The motif explains blindness etiologically: when the three eyes (sources of cosmic illumination/gnosis) are covered, ‘tamas’ manifests. That darkness is then linked to the son’s condition—he is ‘andha’ (blind), giving narrative grounding for Andhaka’s epithet and fate.

Is ‘narmārtham’ meant to excuse the act as harmless?

It marks the act as playful rather than malicious, but Purāṇic theology often shows that even divine play has cosmic repercussions. The contrast heightens Śiva’s potency: a small gesture affecting the cosmic order.

What is the significance of ‘yogasaṃsthasya’ (established in yoga)?

It indicates Śiva’s inward absorption and sovereign control of reality. Covering the eyes of one ‘in yoga’ symbolically interrupts the outward radiance/knowledge that sustains the world, making ‘tamas’ a metaphysical consequence rather than a mere physical darkness.