Vamana Purana — Sati's Death & Virabhadra, Shloka 27

Sati’s Death and the Assault on Daksha’s Sacrifice: Virabhadra versus the Devas

Devanagari script

खड्गचर्मगदाप्रासपरश्वधवराङ्कुशैः चापमार्गणभृत्तस्थौ हन्तुकामो गणेश्वरम्

Transliteration

khaḍgacarmagadāprāsaparaśvadhavarāṅkuśaiḥ cāpamārgaṇabhṛttasthau hantukāmo gaṇeśvaram

Translation

Bewaffnet mit Schwert und Schild, Keule, Speer, Axt und einem vortrefflichen Treibstachel, und bereitstehend mit Bogen und Pfeilen, begehrte er, Gaṇeśvara zu töten.

Word by Word

• khaḍga-carma-gadā-prāsa-paraśvadha-vara-aṅkuśaiḥ: with sword, shield, mace, spear, axe, (and) excellent goad
• khaḍga-carma-gadā-prāsa-paraśvadha-vara-aṅkuśaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक) + carma (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + prāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + paraśvadha (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर; list of weapons); तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

• cāpa-mārgaṇa-bhṛt: bearing bow and arrows
• cāpa-mārgaṇa-bhṛt: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mārgaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'bearing bow and arrows'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (implicit subject)

• tasthau: stood
• tasthau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• hantukāmaḥ: desiring to kill
• hantukāmaḥ: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hantu (√han धातु, तुमुन्-अन्त) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'desirous to kill'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (implicit subject)

• gaṇeśvaram: Gaṇeśvara
• gaṇeśvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in input (commonly framed as Pulastya → Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa narration)

Primary Deities

• Gaṇeśa (Gaṇeśvara)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Divine warfare
• Dharma vs. aggression

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Aggression toward a dharmic/divine protector (here Gaṇeśvara) is portrayed as adharma; the verse foregrounds intent (hantukāma) as ethically weighty—violent intention itself is a moral fault that precipitates conflict and its consequences.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best classified under Vamśānucarita/Carita-type narrative material (accounts of deeds and events involving divine beings), rather than cosmogenesis (sarga/pratisarga) or manvantara cataloguing.

What is the symbolic significance?

The piling up of weapons symbolizes the escalation of egoic force against divine order; Gaṇeśa, as the lord of gaṇas and remover of obstacles, becomes the ‘obstacle’ to adharmic intent—hence conflict arises where dharma blocks unrighteous aims.