Vamana Purana — Rudra's Wrath & Kalarupa, Shloka 28

Rudra’s Wrath at Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Iconography of Kālarūpa through the Zodiac

Devanagari script

अर्द्धेन यज्ञवाटान्ते जटाधर इति श्रुतः अर्द्धेन गगने शर्वः कालरूपी च कथ्यते

Transliteration

arddhena yajñavāṭānte jaṭādhara iti śrutaḥ arddhena gagane śarvaḥ kālarūpī ca kathyate

Translation

With one half of his presence at the edge of the sacrificial enclosure, he was known as “Jaṭādhara” (the bearer of matted locks); with the other half in the sky, Śarva is spoken of as being in the form of Time (Kālarūpa).

Word by Word

• अर्द्धेन: by half / with one half
• अर्द्धेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• यज्ञ-वाट-अन्ते: at the end of the sacrificial enclosure
• यज्ञ-वाट-अन्ते: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + वाट (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य वाटः) + तत्पुरुषः (वाटस्य अन्तः)

• जटा-धरः: the matted-hair bearer (Śiva)
• जटा-धरः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (जटां धरति)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय; quotative particle

• श्रुतः: is heard/known (as)
• श्रुतः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle used predicatively

• अर्द्धेन: by half / with one half
• अर्द्धेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• गगने: in the sky
• गगने: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative singular

• शर्वः: Śarva (Śiva)
• शर्वः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• काल-रूपी: having the form of Time
• काल-रूपी: विशेषण (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular; तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य रूपम् अस्य)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय अव्यय; conjunction

• कथ्यते: is said / is called
• कथ्यते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present passive 3rd sg

Speakers

• Narrative layer not explicitly given in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa framing)

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Jaṭādhara/Śarva/Kālarūpa)

Key Themes

• Divine omnipresence
• Ritual space (yajñavāṭa) sanctity
• Terrific and ascetic aspects of Śiva
• Non-sectarian Purāṇic theology (deity-as-cosmic principle)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The sacred is both immanent (present at the ritual boundary, guarding the rite) and transcendent (pervading the sky as Kāla). Ethical action must respect both: proper conduct in ritual space and awareness of universal accountability under Time.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Devatā-carita within the narrative continuum (often grouped with vamśānucarita-style storytelling): it expounds a deity’s nature and function rather than genealogy or creation cycles.

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘half here, half there’ expresses Śiva’s simultaneity: ascetic lord (jaṭādhara) anchored to the yajña’s limen, and cosmic regulator (kālarūpa) operating as Time. It also bridges sectarian readings by presenting deity as both personal form and cosmic principle.