Vamana Purana — Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas, Shloka 24

Sukesha’s Boon, the Twelve Dharmas of Beings, and the Cosmography of the Seven Dvipas with the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

जितेन्द्रियत्वं शौचं च माङ्गल्यं भक्तिरच्युते शङ्करे भास्करे देव्यां धर्मो ऽयं मानवः स्मृतः

Transliteration

jitendriyatvaṃ śaucaṃ ca māṅgalyaṃ bhaktiracyute śaṅkare bhāskare devyāṃ dharmo 'yaṃ mānavaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

Beherrschung der Sinne, Reinheit, glückverheißendes Verhalten und Hingabe an Acyuta (Viṣṇu); sowie Verehrung Śaṅkaras (Śiva), Bhāskaras (der Sonne) und der Göttin (Devī) — dies gilt als das Dharma der Menschen.

Word by Word

• जितेन्द्रियत्वम्: state of having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• शौचम्: purity; cleanliness
• शौचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• माङ्गल्यम्: auspiciousness
• माङ्गल्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माङ्गल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• अच्युते: in/unto Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• अच्युते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• शङ्करे: in/unto Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• भास्करे: in/unto Bhāskara (Sun)
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• देव्याम्: in/unto the Goddess
• देव्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun; nominative singular)

• मानवः: human; pertaining to humans
• मानवः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular); विशेषण

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (past passive participle used predicatively)

Speakers

• Not specified in input (likely within Pulastya–Nārada discourse framework)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Acyuta)
• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Surya (Bhāskara)
• Devi (Devī/Śakti)

Key Themes

• Sectarian harmony
• Bhakti
• Purity (śauca)
• Self-mastery (jitendriya)
• Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Human dharma is framed as both ethical discipline (sense-control, purity, auspicious conduct) and devotional orientation. Importantly, devotion is not sect-limited: while bhakti to Viṣṇu (Acyuta) is highlighted, reverence is also extended to Śiva, Sūrya, and Devī—presenting a broad, integrative religious ethic.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is primarily dharma-ācāra/upanibandha instruction within the Purāṇa rather than one of the five defining narrative topics. It also reflects the Purāṇic function of teaching sādhāraṇa-dharma (universal duties) alongside mythic cosmology and genealogies.

What is the symbolic significance?

By naming Acyuta (Viṣṇu) alongside Śaṅkara (Śiva), Bhāskara (Sūrya), and Devī, the text symbolically maps dharma onto a ‘complete’ sacred cosmos: preservation (Viṣṇu), transformation (Śiva), illumination/order (Sūrya), and power/nurture (Devī). This supports the Vāmana Purāṇa’s non-sectarian theological grammar.