Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 17

Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti

Devanagari script

ततः स विस्मितान् सर्वान् कन्दर्पादीन् महामुने दृष्ट्वा प्रोवाच वचनं स्मितं कृत्वा शुभव्रतः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vismitān sarvān kandarpādīn mahāmune dṛṣṭvā provāca vacanaṃ smitaṃ kṛtvā śubhavrataḥ

Translation

Then, O great sage, seeing all of them—Kandarpa and the rest—astonished, that observer of auspicious vows spoke, first smiling, a word to them.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Desha-kala (देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then/thereupon)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; he

• विस्मितान्: astonished
• विस्मितान्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying ‘सर्वान्/कन्दर्पादीन्’—astonished

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘all’ (as object of dṛṣṭvā)

• कन्दर्प-आदीन्: Kandarpa and the others
• कन्दर्प-आदीन्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘कन्दर्पः आदिः येषां ते’ (kandarpādi-); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘Kandarpa and others’

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘महान् मुनिः’; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative—O great sage

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/क्त्वा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having seen’

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्ष), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘spoke forth’

• वचनम्: words, speech
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of ‘प्रोवाच’

• स्मितम्: smiling, with a smile
• स्मितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adjective to ‘वचनम्’—smiling/gentle

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/क्त्वा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having done/made’ (here: having smiled / after making a smile)

• शुभ-व्रतः: one of auspicious vow (virtuous)
• शुभ-व्रतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: ‘शुभं व्रतं यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; epithet of the speaker

Speakers

• Narrator addressing 'mahāmune' (implied frame: Pulastya → Nārada
• though not explicit here)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Mādhava)
• Kandarpa (Kāma)

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Dharma (śubha-vrata)
• Divine pedagogy (gentle speech)
• Daiva psychology (wonder of gods)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Authority need not be harsh: the smile before speech suggests compassion and measured correction. Ethical instruction is most potent when delivered without anger, grounded in śubha-vrata (disciplined virtue).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Again, this is narrative-carita material (Vamśānucarita/ākhyāna). It supports dharma-teaching through exemplary conduct rather than cosmological description.

What is the symbolic significance?

Kandarpa represents desire’s coercive force; the gods’ astonishment signals that desire is not ultimate. The divine smile implies desire can be reoriented or pacified by higher consciousness rather than suppressed by violence.