Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

ते समभ्येत्य दैतेया दानवाश्च महाबलाः नेमिषारण्यमागत्य स्नानं चक्रुर्मुदान्विताः

Transliteration

te samabhyetya daiteyā dānavāśca mahābalāḥ nemiṣāraṇyamāgatya snānaṃ cakrurmudānvitāḥ

Translation

Jene mächtigen Daiteyas und Dānavas kamen zusammen, erreichten Naimiṣāraṇya und vollzogen voller Freude das rituelle Bad.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• समभ्येत्य: having approached
• समभ्येत्य: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-अभि-इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाले (having first...)

• दैतेयाः: the Daityas
• दैतेयाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैतेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दानवाः: the Dānavas
• दानवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• महाबलाः: mighty, of great strength
• महाबलाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महत् बलम् येषाम्/महद्बलाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; दैतेया/दानवाः इति विशेषण

• नेमिषारण्यम्: Naimiṣāraṇya
• नेमिषारण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेमिषारण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; देश-नाम

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund)

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रुः: did / performed
• चक्रुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मुदान्विताः: filled with joy
• मुदान्विताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदा-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया: मुदया अन्विताः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

Speakers

• Pulastya narrating (dialogue frame implied)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha Practice
• Ritual Purification (Snāna)
• Sacred Landscape as Narrative Stage

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purāṇas often show that even antagonistic beings seek the potency of sacred places and rites; ritual acts (like snāna) can be performed for dharmic purification or for strategic empowerment—intention (bhāva) becomes decisive.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita/Itihāsa narration with a clear Tīrtha-māhātmya adjacency: the story uses a famous sacred site (Naimiṣāraṇya) as a node where events and ritual meaning intersect.

What is the symbolic significance?

Naimiṣāraṇya represents concentrated spiritual ‘time-space’ (a charged ritual ecology). The Asuras’ joyful snāna can symbolize appropriation of sacred power—highlighting the Purāṇic warning that holiness of place does not automatically confer holiness of purpose.