Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

त्वमच्युको हृषीकेशश्चक्रपाणिर्धराधरः महामीनो हयशिरास्त्वमेव वरकच्छपः

Transliteration

tvamacyuko hṛṣīkeśaścakrapāṇirdharādharaḥ mahāmīno hayaśirāstvameva varakacchapaḥ

Translation

You are Acyuta, Hṛṣīkeśa, the bearer of the discus, and the supporter of the earth. You are the Great Fish (Mahāmīna); you are Hayagrīva; you indeed are the excellent Tortoise (Varakacchapa).

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अच्युकः: Acyuka (name/epithet)
• अच्युकः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन

• हृषीकेशः: Hṛṣīkeśa (Lord of the senses)
• हृषीकेशः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीकेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (hṛṣīka + īśa)

• चक्रपाणिः: one who has the discus in hand
• चक्रपाणिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (cakrasya pāṇiḥ)

• धराधरः: supporter of the earth
• धराधरः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharāyāḥ dharaḥ)

• महामीनः: the great fish
• महामीनः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahān mīnaḥ)

• हयशिराः: one whose head is a horse (Hayagrīva)
• हयशिराः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (yasya śiraḥ hayaḥ)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• वरकच्छपः: the excellent tortoise
• वरकच्छपः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (varaḥ kच्छपः)

Speakers

• Not specified in input (often framed as Pulastya ↔ Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Bhakti
• Avatars
• Cosmic preservation

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Divine is presented as the continuous protector who adapts to circumstances—names (guṇa/karma-based epithets) and avatāras (historico-mythic interventions) both express steadfast preservation of dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best categorized as Vamśānucarita/Ākhyāna-adjacent stuti with avatāra recollection (a common Purāṇic technique to summarize divine interventions across cycles), rather than creation/destruction accounts proper.

What is the symbolic significance?

Matsya and Kūrma evoke rescue and cosmic support; Hayagrīva evokes the safeguarding/restoration of sacred knowledge. Together they symbolize protection of life, world-order, and Veda.