Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 45

Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्तो जग्राह राज्यं हैरण्यलोचनिः प्रह्लादो ऽपि तदागच्छत् पुण्यं बदरिकाश्रमम्

Transliteration

ityevamukto jagrāha rājyaṃ hairaṇyalocaniḥ prahlādo 'pi tadāgacchat puṇyaṃ badarikāśramam

Translation

Thus addressed, Hiraṇyalocana accepted the kingdom. And Prahlāda too then came to the holy Badarikāśrama, a place of great merit.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (निपात), quotation/closure particle

• evam: in this manner
• evam: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• uktaḥ: (having been) addressed
• uktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (वच् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense ‘having been spoken to’

• jagrāha: took/accepted
• jagrāha: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ? actually Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular

• hairaṇyalocaniḥ: Hiraṇyalocana (the golden-eyed one)
• hairaṇyalocaniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hairaṇya-locanin (हैरण्य + लोचनिन्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘having golden eyes’/‘golden-eyed’ as epithet

• prahlādaḥ: Prahlāda
• prahlādaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) of inclusion/emphasis

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, temporal adverb (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• agacchat: went/arrived
• agacchat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• puṇyam: holy/meritorious
• puṇyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular; adjective qualifying āśramam

• badarikāśramam: Badrikā hermitage
• badarikāśramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: badarikā-āśrama (बदरिका + आश्रम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष sense: ‘the hermitage at Badarikā’

Speakers

• Narratorial voice (within the larger Purana dialogue frame
• typically Pulastya ↔ Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Nara-Nārāyaṇa (implied by Badarikāśrama setting)

Key Themes

• Pilgrimage and sacred geography
• Prahlada’s devotional orientation
• Transition from political narrative to tirtha/devotional encounter

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The juxtaposition of accepting a kingdom and moving toward a holy āśrama highlights a Purāṇic hierarchy: political power is secondary to dharma pursued through pilgrimage, tapas, and devotion.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita with tīrtha-prasaṅga: dynastic narrative (who rules) transitions into a sacred-site episode (a common Purāṇic technique for embedding tīrtha-māhātmya within history/legend).

What is the symbolic significance?

Badarikāśrama functions as a ‘spiritual axis’—a place where worldly identities (Daitya king, ruler, etc.) are relativized before the presence of divine austerity (Nara–Nārāyaṇa).