Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 69

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

ततस्त्रिनेत्रः स्वैं संध्यां सप्ताब्धशतिके गते काले ऽभ्युपासत तदा सो ऽष्टादशभुजो ऽव्ययः

Transliteration

tatastrinetraḥ svaiṃ saṃdhyāṃ saptābdhaśatike gate kāle 'bhyupāsata tadā so 'ṣṭādaśabhujo 'vyayaḥ

Translation

Dann vollzog der Dreiäugige (Śiva) seine eigene Dämmerungsverehrung (saṃdhyā-upāsanā), als die Zeit in das siebenhundertste Jahr eingetreten war; da erschien der Unvergängliche mit achtzehn Armen.

Speakers

• Narrator voice continuing the battle-episode narration.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Tri-netra)

Key Themes

• Saṃdhyā worship (daily rite)
• Austerity and time-cycles
• Theophany (divine manifestation)
• Power-forms (multi-armed iconography)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is meant by ‘svāṃ saṃdhyām’ in a Purāṇic context?

It points to Śiva’s observance of the prescribed twilight junction rite—an archetype of perfect discipline. Purāṇas often depict even great deities as models of vrata and niyama to underscore the sanctity of ritual time (kāla).

How should ‘sapta-abdha-śatike’ be understood—700 days, months, or years?

The compound literally suggests a ‘seven-hundred’ measure of ‘abdha’ (commonly ‘year’). Purāṇic time expressions can be stylized; the intent is to mark a long, ritually significant duration culminating in a manifestation.

Why an eighteen-armed form?

Multiple arms signify manifold powers and functions—protection, destruction of obstacles, and bestowal of boons. The number (18) can also resonate with Purāṇic numerological aesthetics (e.g., completeness of powers), even when not explicitly linked to a single doctrinal list.