Shloka 31

Hymn of Victory: Varāha, the Slaying of Hiraṇyākṣa, and the Praise of Viṣṇu

Devanagari script

पताकाध्वजसंपूर्णं रम्यं शक्ररथोपमम् । समारुह्य महावीरो हिरण्याक्षोऽसुराधिपः

Transliteration

patākādhvajasaṃpūrṇaṃ ramyaṃ śakrarathopamam | samāruhya mahāvīro hiraṇyākṣo'surādhipaḥ

Translation

Mounting a splendid chariot filled with pennants and banners, comparable to Indra’s chariot, the great hero Hiraṇyākṣa, lord of the Asuras, set forth.

Word by Word

• patākā-dhvaja-saṃpūrṇam: filled with banners and flags
• patākā-dhvaja-saṃpūrṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patākā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃpūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (filled with banners and flags), नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• ramyam: beautiful
• ramyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• śakra-ratha-upamam: comparable to Indra’s chariot
• śakra-ratha-upamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक) + ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (comparison: 'like Indra’s chariot'), नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• samāruhya: having mounted
• samāruhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā√ruh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), क्रियापूर्वक (having mounted)

• mahā-vīraḥ: the great hero
• mahā-vīraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (उपसर्गसदृश) + vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय ('great hero'), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• hiraṇyākṣaḥ: Hiraṇyākṣa
• hiraṇyākṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (one whose eyes are like gold / golden-eyed; proper name), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• asura-adhipaḥ: lord of the demons
• asura-adhipaḥ: Apposition to Karta (कर्ता-विशेषण/समास)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष ('lord of asuras'), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; specific dialogue speaker not explicit in this single verse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: hiraṇyākṣo'surādhipaḥ = hiraṇyākṣaḥ + asura-adhipaḥ (visarga + a → o ’).

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

Why is Hiraṇyākṣa’s chariot compared to Indra’s chariot in this verse?

The comparison (śakra-rathopama) highlights extraordinary splendor and martial prestige, portraying Hiraṇyākṣa as a formidable rival whose royal power visually echoes even the king of the gods.

Does this verse teach a Bhakti or ethical lesson directly?

Not directly. It is primarily descriptive, setting a scene of royal-martial grandeur; ethical or devotional conclusions depend on the surrounding narrative context of Hiraṇyākṣa’s actions and their consequences.

What is the key literary feature of this śloka?

It uses vivid royal imagery (flags, banners, splendid chariot) and a divine simile (comparison to Indra’s chariot) to intensify the narrative momentum before an important event.