Vamana Purana — Akhanda Ekadashi Vrata, Shloka 61

Akhaṇḍa-Ekādaśī Vrata and the Vaiṣṇava Protective Hymn; Prelude to the Kātyāyanī–Mahiṣāsura Narrative

Devanagari script

एतामृतुमतीं जातां महिषो ऽन्यो ददर्श ह सा चाभ्यगाद् दितिवरं रक्षन्ती शीलमात्मनः

Transliteration

etāmṛtumatīṃ jātāṃ mahiṣo 'nyo dadarśa ha sā cābhyagād ditivaraṃ rakṣantī śīlamātmanaḥ

Translation

Another buffalo saw her when she had become ṛtumatī (in season). While safeguarding her own chastity, she approached the best of the sons of Diti (a Daitya).

Word by Word

• एताम्: this (her)
• एताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• ऋतुमतीम्: in her season
• ऋतुमतीम्: विशेषण (to Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतुमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण एताम् प्रति; अर्थः ‘in season/menstruating’

• जाताम्: having become/born
• जाताम्: विशेषण (to Karma)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; एताम् प्रति विशेषण; अर्थः ‘born/come to be’

• महिषः: the buffalo (demon)
• महिषः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: विशेषण (to Karta)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण महिषः प्रति (another)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/it is said
• ह: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निपात (particle), कथन-प्रत्यय/अनुस्मारक

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अभ्यगात्: approached/went to
• अभ्यगात्: क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: अभि

• दितिवरम्: the best of the Diti-born (a Daitya)
• दितिवरम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: दितेः वरः (best of Diti’s race/Daitya); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• रक्षन्ती: protecting
• रक्षन्ती: कर्ता-विशेषण (agentive qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; सा इति कर्तरि विशेषण

• शीलम्: conduct/virtue
• शीलम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• आत्मनः: of herself
• आत्मनः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narratorial layer not explicit in the excerpt (often framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa
• but not confirmable from these verses alone).

Key Themes

• Daitya–nonhuman conflict
• Protection of chastity (śīla)
• Violence and karmic consequence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse foregrounds śīla (personal virtue/chastity) as something actively guarded; it implies moral agency even under threat, and sets up the narrative consequence for those who violate dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / carita (narrative of beings and events), rather than cosmogenesis; it is an episode-like account illustrating dharmic norms through story.

What is the symbolic significance?

ṛtumatī can symbolize vulnerability (a liminal bodily/social state). The insistence on guarding śīla frames virtue as a protective power that later draws supernatural refuge (Yakṣa protection).