Vamana Purana — Saptasarasvata Tirtha, Shloka 39

Harihara Revelation and the Tirtha-Glorification of Saptasarasvata in Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

ततो ऽपि कम्पते पृथ्वी साब्धिद्वीपाचला मुने ततो ऽभिचिन्तयद्रुद्रः किमर्थं क्षुभिता मही

Transliteration

tato 'pi kampate pṛthvī sābdhidvīpācalā mune tato 'bhicintayadrudraḥ kimarthaṃ kṣubhitā mahī

Translation

Even then the earth shook—together with its oceans, continents, and mountains, O sage. Thereupon Rudra reflected: “For what reason has the earth become agitated?”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अपि अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even)

• kampate: trembles
• kampate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kamp (कम्प् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• pṛthvī: the earth
• pṛthvī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthvī (पृथ्वी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sa-abdhi-dvīpa-acalā: with oceans, islands, and mountains
• sa-abdhi-dvīpa-acalā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (स- ‘सहित’) + abdhi (अब्दि प्रातिपदिक) + dvīpa (द्वीप प्रातिपदिक) + acala (अचल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘that (earth) which has oceans, islands, and mountains’

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (मुनि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• abhicintayat: reflected; thought
• abhicintayat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-cint (अभिचिन्त् धातु)
• Form: उपसर्ग: अभि; लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• rudraḥ: Rudra (Śiva)
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (रुद्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• artham: reason; purpose
• artham: Hetu/Prayojana (हेतु/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (अर्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘for what purpose’ (kim + artham)

• kṣubhitā: agitated
• kṣubhitā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣubh (क्षुभ् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• mahī: the earth
• mahī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (मही प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator to a sage-listener (mune); reporting Rudra’s internal deliberation.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra)

Key Themes

• Cosmic disturbance as narrative signal
• Śiva’s vigilance and inquiry
• Purāṇic cosmography (oceans–dvīpas–mountains)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘with oceans, continents, and mountains’ convey in Purāṇic style?

It is a totalizing cosmographic formula: the disturbance is not local but cosmic in scope, affecting the full structured world (samudras, dvīpas, and parvatas) as conceived in Purāṇic geography.

Is the earthquake literal or symbolic?

Purāṇas often treat such shaking as both: a literal cosmic event within the story-world and a symbolic omen indicating the rise of a great being, a major battle, or a disruption of dharma requiring divine intervention.

Why is Rudra shown ‘reflecting’ rather than acting immediately?

The narrative emphasizes discernment (vicāra) before action: Rudra first seeks the cause (nimitta) of the disturbance, aligning divine power with divine intelligence.