Vamana Purana — Rudra's Wrath & Kalarupa, Shloka 60

Rudra’s Wrath at Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Iconography of Kālarūpa through the Zodiac

Devanagari script

लक्षणा गदितास्तुभ्यं मेषादीनां महामुने न कस्यचित् त्वयाख्येयं गुह्यमेतत्पुरातनम्

Transliteration

lakṣaṇā gaditāstubhyaṃ meṣādīnāṃ mahāmune na kasyacit tvayākhyeyaṃ guhyametatpurātanam

Translation

O großer Weise, die Kennzeichen von Meṣa (Widder) und der übrigen Zeichen sind dir dargelegt worden. Dieses uralte Geheimnis sollst du nicht beliebigen Menschen offenbaren.

Word by Word

• lakṣaṇāḥ: characteristics, marks
• lakṣaṇāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• gaditāḥ: have been spoken/told
• gaditāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gad (धातु) → gadita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे (passive sense: 'have been told')

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th case, dative), एकवचन

• meṣa-ādīnām: of (the signs) beginning with Aries
• meṣa-ādīnām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: meṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (ādi-समास/प्रयोग: 'beginning with')

• mahā-mune: O great sage
• mahā-mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahān muniḥ)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kasyacit: to anyone / of anyone
• kasyacit: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/सप्तमी एकवचन (genitive/locative sg; here: dative-like sense 'to anyone' via context), अनिश्चित (indefinite)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd case, instrumental), एकवचन

• ākhyeyam: to be disclosed/told
• ākhyeyam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-khyā (धातु) → ākhyeya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be told'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• guhyam: secret
• guhyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• purātanam: ancient
• purātanam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher voice to a sage-disciple (exact names not present in the verse excerpt)

Key Themes

• Esoteric instruction
• Initiatory secrecy
• Dharma of responsible speech

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Knowledge—especially technical or sacred knowledge—is to be transmitted with discernment. The verse teaches restraint (saṃyama) in speech and the ethics of instruction: not every teaching is fit for every audience.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is not a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit (sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita). It functions as ancillary didactic material often embedded within Purāṇic narration—supporting dharma and traditional sciences (upāṅga-like content) rather than cosmic genealogy.

What is the symbolic significance?

“Meṣa and the rest” signals ordered time/karma (astral or calendrical order). Declaring it ‘guhya’ symbolizes that time-knowledge can be spiritually potent and socially consequential, hence guarded to prevent misuse.