Vamana Purana — Sati's Death & Virabhadra, Shloka 12

Sati’s Death and the Assault on Daksha’s Sacrifice: Virabhadra versus the Devas

Devanagari script

आक्रन्दितध्वनिं श्रुत्वा शूलपाणिस्त्रिलोचनः आः किमेतदितीत्युक्त्वा जयाभ्याशमुपागतः

Transliteration

ākranditadhvaniṃ śrutvā śūlapāṇistrilocanaḥ āḥ kimetaditītyuktvā jayābhyāśamupāgataḥ

Translation

Hearing the sound of lamentation, the three-eyed Lord bearing the trident exclaimed, “Ah! What is this?” and approached Jaya.

Word by Word

• ākrandita-dhvanim: the sound of crying
• ākrandita-dhvanim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākrandita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक from √krand + ā-) + dhvani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (ākranditasya dhvaniḥ), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• śūla-pāṇiḥ: Śiva (the one with a trident in hand)
• śūla-pāṇiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (yasya pāṇau śūlam), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; epithet of Śiva

• tri-locanaḥ: the three-eyed one
• tri-locanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (yasya trīṇi locanāni), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; appositional epithet

• āḥ: ah!
• āḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/आह्वानार्थ निपात (interjection)

• kim: what?
• kim: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-निपात; quotation marker

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) from √vac ‘to say’, अव्ययभाव

• jayā-abhyāśam: near Jayā / to Jayā’s vicinity
• jayā-abhyāśam: Karma (कर्म) / Gati (गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jayā (प्रातिपदिक) + abhyāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (jayāyāḥ abhyāśaḥ), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• upāgataḥ: came/approached
• upāgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + upa- (उपसर्ग) + upāgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; predicative with śūlapāṇiḥ

Speakers

• Narrator describing Shiva’s reaction (broader frame likely Pulastya → Nārada
• not explicit in given verses)

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Compassion of the deity
• Divine response to suffering

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The deity is portrayed as immediately responsive to suffering (ākrandita). The verse emphasizes attentiveness (śravaṇa) and compassionate intervention rather than aloofness—an ethical model for rulers and devotees alike.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best classified under Vamśānucarita / carita-style narrative (account of divine deeds and events), not sarga/pratisarga or manvantara. It advances a localized episode within the Purāṇic story-flow.

What is the symbolic significance?

Śiva’s epithets (Śūlapāṇi, Trilocana) signal protective power and omniscient awareness: the ‘three eyes’ can perceive distress across realms, while the ‘trident’ implies readiness to remove the cause of affliction.