Shloka 12

Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline

Devanagari script

वाराहं रूपमास्थाय हिरण्याक्षो निपातित: । वामनं रूपमास्थाय जितो राजा मया बलि:

Transliteration

vārāhaṁ rūpam āsthāya hiraṇyākṣo nipātitaḥ | vāmanaṁ rūpam āsthāya jito rājā mayā baliḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Oh rey, asumiendo la forma del Jabalí (Varāha), abatí al demonio Hiraṇyākṣa; y asumiendo la forma del brahmán enano Vāmana, sometí al rey Bali».

Word by Word

• वाराहम्: the boar (form)
• वाराहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having assumed/taken (up)
• आस्थाय: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (स्था)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• हिरण्याक्षः: Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्याक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निपातितः: was felled/struck down
• निपातितः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पात्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• वामनम्: the dwarf (Vāmana)
• वामनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having assumed/taken (up)
• आस्थाय: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (स्था)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• जितः: was conquered/defeated
• जितः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Viṣṇu
• Varāha
• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Vāmana
• Bali

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That the divine assumes appropriate forms to restore dharma: destructive force is directed against adharma (violent arrogance and oppression), while even a mighty king like Bali can be restrained through righteous strategy, reminding rulers to temper power with humility and moral limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma recounts Viṣṇu’s celebrated deeds through incarnations: as Varāha he defeats Hiraṇyākṣa, and as Vāmana he overcomes King Bali—examples invoked to illustrate how cosmic order is re-established when it is threatened.