Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 24

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच कन्दर्पो हर्षतनयो यो ऽसौ कामो निगद्यते स शङ्करेण संदग्धो ह्यनङ्गत्वमुपागतः

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca kandarpo harṣatanayo yo 'sau kāmo nigadyate sa śaṅkareṇa saṃdagdho hyanaṅgatvamupāgataḥ

Translation

Pulastya sprach: „Kandarpa—der Sohn des Harṣa—der als Kāma bezeichnet wird, wurde von Śaṅkara verbrannt; wahrlich, er gelangte in den Zustand des ‘Anaṅga’ (körperlos).“

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कन्दर्पः: Kandarpa (Kāma)
• कन्दर्पः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हर्षतनयः: son of Harṣa
• हर्षतनयः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्षतनय (प्रातिपदिक: हर्ष+तनय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हर्षस्य तनयः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• कामः: Kāma (desire-god)
• कामः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निगद्यते: is called / is said
• निगद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive) उपसर्ग: नि-

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शङ्करेण: by Śaṅkara
• शङ्करेण: Karana (करण/Instrument-Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संदग्धः: burnt
• संदग्धः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; PPP predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्-

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-सूचक

• अनङ्गत्वम्: bodilessness
• अनङ्गत्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनङ्गत्व (प्रातिपदिक: अनङ्ग+त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपागतः: has attained
• उपागतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: उप-

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Kāma (Kandarpa/Manmatha)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Mythic causation (aetiology of a divine epithet)
• Control of desire through ascetic power (tapas)
• Sectarian harmony (Shaiva episode narrated within a Vishnu-linked frame)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The episode teaches mastery over kāma: unchecked desire disrupts spiritual purpose, while tapas and divine discipline can transform it from a gross impulse into a restrained, subtle principle.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Devatānucarita: a deed/attribute-account of a deity (Kāma) and the action of another deity (Śiva) that establishes a well-known epithet.

What is the symbolic significance?

Śiva burning Kāma symbolizes the incineration of desire by yogic fire; ‘Anaṅga’ implies desire’s persistence as an intangible force—subtle, not eliminated merely by destroying form.