Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

स चोवाच महाराज महातीर्थं महाफलम् स्नातुमेवागतो ऽस्म्यद्य द्रष्टुञ्चैवाकुलीश्वरम्

Transliteration

sa covāca mahārāja mahātīrthaṃ mahāphalam snātumevāgato 'smyadya draṣṭuñcaivākulīśvaram

Translation

Und er sprach: „O großer König, dies ist ein großes Tīrtha von großer Frucht. Heute bin ich eigens gekommen, um dort zu baden und auch Ākulīśvara zu schauen.“

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• महातीर्थम्: a great sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• महातीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• महाफलम्: of great fruit (highly rewarding)
• महाफलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to महातीर्थम्)

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Niyama (नियम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• आगतः: (I have) come
• आगतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+गम् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय — having come

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (today)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Niyama (नियम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• आकुलीश्वरम्: Ākulīśvara (a deity)
• आकुलीश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकुलीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/नामधेय (Ākulī-īśvara: Lord of Ākulī)

Speakers

• The visiting Bhṛgu-lineage sage speaking to Prahlāda (Mahārāja)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Ākulīśvara)

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahatmiya
• Ritual bathing (snāna) and merit (phala)
• Shaivism
• Sectarian harmony (Śaiva sacred goal appearing within a Daitya/Vaiṣṇava-associated narrative space)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purāṇic dharma is enacted through pilgrimage: bodily act (snāna) joined to devotional seeing (darśana). Merit is framed not as mere geography but as disciplined intention—coming ‘today’ with a defined sacred purpose.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This aligns with Vamśānucarita/Carita as narrative progression, while also introducing a Tīrtha-Māhātmya sublayer (praise of a tirtha and its fruit), which Purāṇas commonly embed within historical/royal episodes.

What is the symbolic significance?

Ākulīśvara (a Śaiva epithet) appearing here exemplifies the Vāmana Purāṇa’s tendency toward sectarian complementarity: the narrative world that will culminate in Viṣṇu’s avatāra ethics also validates Śiva-centered pilgrimage and liṅga-darśana as ‘mahāphala’.