Vamana Purana — Sukeshi's Inquiry into Dharma, Shloka 31

Sukeshi’s Inquiry into Dharma: The Seven Dvipas and the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

स ताड्यमानः शिशिरांशुबाणैरवाप पीडां परमां गजेन्द्रः दुष्टश्च वेगात् पयसामधीशं मुहुर्मुहुः पादतलैर्ममर्द

Transliteration

sa tāḍyamānaḥ śiśirāṃśubāṇairavāpa pīḍāṃ paramāṃ gajendraḥ duṣṭaśca vegāt payasāmadhīśaṃ muhurmuhuḥ pādatalairmamarda

Translation

Von den Pfeilen der winterkalten Strahlen getroffen, erlitt der Elefantenherr größte Qual; und, zornig und verderbt, zertrat er Varuṇa, den Herrn der Wasser, immer wieder mit seinen Fußsohlen.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun ‘he’

• ताड्यमानः: being struck
• ताड्यमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि शानच्/यमान (present passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being struck’

• शिशिरांशुबाणैः: with cool-rayed arrows
• शिशिरांशुबाणैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशिर + अंशु + बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भव): शिशिरांशूनां बाणैः; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अवाप: suffered/attained
• अवाप: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect ‘obtained/reached’

• पीडाम्: pain, torment
• पीडाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme, intense
• परमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying पीडाम्

• गजेन्द्रः: lord of elephants
• गजेन्द्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: गजानाम् इन्द्रः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुष्टः: wicked, enraged
• दुष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective qualifying गजेन्द्रः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वेगात्: with force
• वेगात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ablative ‘from/with force’

• पयसाम्: of waters
• पयसाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; genitive ‘of waters’

• अधीशम्: the lord (Varuṇa)
• अधीशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘overlord’

• मुहुः: again
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थ क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• मुहुः: again
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थ क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• पादतलैः: with the soles of (his) feet
• पादतलैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: पादस्य तलैः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; instrumental ‘with soles’

• ममर्द: crushed
• ममर्द: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद्/मर्द् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect ‘crushed’

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (likely within the Purāṇic frame narration
• often Pulastya → Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Varuṇa

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Retribution and escalation
• Cosmic order vs. violent force

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Pain and humiliation can provoke further cruelty when dominated by tamas/rajas; the verse warns that uncontrolled reaction to suffering multiplies harm and deepens adharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / narrative episode: a conflict scene illustrating the interplay of devas and powerful beings. It is not cosmogony (sarga) but an embedded legend supporting the text’s broader dharma and tīrtha-oriented teaching.

What is the symbolic significance?

Varuṇa (waters, restraint, law) being trampled by a raging elephant dramatizes the subjugation of “order and measure” by brute force—an image of chaos overwhelming regulation until higher balance is restored.