Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 24

Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाश्च तपो धर्मं तीर्थयात्राश्च कुर्वते वैश्याश्च पशुवृत्तिस्थाः शूद्राः शुश्रूषणे रताः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāśca tapo dharmaṃ tīrthayātrāśca kurvate vaiśyāśca paśuvṛttisthāḥ śūdrāḥ śuśrūṣaṇe ratāḥ

Translation

Die Brāhmaṇas übten Tapas (Askese) und Dharma und unternahmen Pilgerfahrten zu den Tīrthas (heiligen Stätten); die Vaiśyas gingen Erwerben nach, die auf Vieh, besonders Rindern, beruhten; die Śūdras waren dem Dienst ergeben.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राः: pilgrimages
• तीर्थयात्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थयात्रा (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + यात्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कुर्वते: do, perform
• कुर्वते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वैश्याः: Vaiśyas
• वैश्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• पशुवृत्तिस्थाः: engaged in cattle-based livelihood
• पशुवृत्तिस्थाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पशुवृत्तिस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; पशु + वृत्ति + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण of वैश्याः

• शूद्राः: Śūdras
• शूद्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• शुश्रूषणे: in service, in attendance
• शुश्रूषणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• रताः: devoted, engaged
• रताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; रम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; predicate adjective of शूद्राः

Speakers

• Narrative frame not explicit in input; narrator summarizes societal conditions

Key Themes

• Varṇāśrama-dharma
• Social order
• Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā)
• Austerity (tapas)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text links societal flourishing to each group performing its prescribed duties: spiritual disciplines (tapas, tīrtha) and economic/service roles together sustain dharma in a stable polity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita/Manvantara-style societal description: while not a full manvantara account, it uses a reign-description to depict dharma’s operation through varṇāśrama.

What is the symbolic significance?

Varṇāśrama functioning is presented as a visible sign of dharma’s restoration after adharma; pilgrimage and austerity indicate renewed access to sacred order, not merely political stability.