Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 4

Chanda and Munda Discover Katyayani; Mahishasura’s Proposal and the Vishnu-Panjara Protection

Devanagari script

जितास्तया तोयधरालकैर्हि जितः शशङ्को वदनेन तन्व्या नेत्रैस्त्रिभिस्त्रीणि हुताशनानि जितानि कण्ठेन जितस्तु शङ्खः

Transliteration

jitāstayā toyadharālakairhi jitaḥ śaśaṅko vadanena tanvyā netraistribhistrīṇi hutāśanāni jitāni kaṇṭhena jitastu śaṅkhaḥ

Translation

By her cloud-laden locks, the rain-bearing clouds are conquered; by the slender maiden’s face, the moon is conquered. By her three eyes, the three fires are outshone; by her throat, the conch is surpassed.

Word by Word

• जिताः: conquered
• जिताः: कर्ता-विशेष्य (कर्मणि-भावे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘जित’ = conquered

• तया: by her
• तया: करण (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तोयधर-अलकैः: by (her) cloud-like curls
• तोयधर-अलकैः: करण (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोयधर + अलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (तोयधराणाम् अलकाः = cloud-like curls)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• जितः: conquered
• जितः: कर्ता-विशेष्य (कर्मणि-भावे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शशाङ्कः: the moon
• शशाङ्कः: कर्ता (कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशाङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वदनेन: by (her) face
• वदनेन: करण (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तन्व्याः: of the slender one
• तन्व्याः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘slender woman’

• नेत्रैः: by (her) eyes
• नेत्रैः: करण (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: विशेषण (नेत्र-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: विशेषण (हुताशन-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• हुताशनानि: fires
• हुताशनानि: कर्म (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुताशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (हुतं अश्नाति इति) = fire

• जितानि: conquered
• जितानि: कर्म-विशेषण (कर्मणि-भावे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• कण्ठेन: by (her) throat/neck
• कण्ठेन: करण (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• जितः: conquered
• जितः: कर्ता-विशेष्य (कर्मणि-भावे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• शङ्खः: the conch
• शङ्खः: कर्ता (कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speakers

• Not explicit in the provided excerpt (likely within the Purāṇic dialogue frame
• commonly Pulastya → Nārada
• but verse-level speaker not stated)

Key Themes

• Poetics (alaṅkāra)
• Stuti/varṇana
• Auspicious iconography (three fires; conch as purity symbol)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse functions primarily as kāvya (poetic) praise rather than direct dharma-instruction; implicitly it showcases the Purāṇic tendency to encode auspicious symbols (moon, fires, conch) into devotional or aesthetic admiration, reminding the listener that worldly beauty is described through cosmic comparanda.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best classified as ancillary narrative ornamentation within Vamśānucarita/Carita-style storytelling (not a core sarga/pratisarga cosmology unit). It does not directly present creation, dissolution, or dynastic genealogy; it embellishes a character episode.

What is the symbolic significance?

Moon/Cloud/Fire/Conch are standard purity-and-splendor benchmarks. ‘Three fires’ can recall the gārhapatya–āhavanīya–dakṣiṇa triad, suggesting her gaze outshines ritual sanctity itself; the conch (śaṅkha) evokes auspicious resonance and purity, now poetically ‘surpassed’ by her throat/voice-bearing region.