Vamana Purana — Sukeshi's Inquiry into Dharma, Shloka 26

Sukeshi’s Inquiry into Dharma: The Seven Dvipas and the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

तोमरैर्वज्रसंस्पर्शैः शक्तिभिर्मार्गणैरपि जलेशं ताडयामास मुद्गरैः कणपैरपि

Transliteration

tomarairvajrasaṃsparśaiḥ śaktibhirmārgaṇairapi jaleśaṃ tāḍayāmāsa mudgaraiḥ kaṇapairapi

Translation

Con lanzas cuyo golpe era como el del rayo (vajra), con jabalinas (śakti) y también con flechas, golpeó al señor de las aguas; con mazos (mudgara) e incluso con garrotes (kaṇapa) también.

Word by Word

• तोमरैः: with spears
• तोमरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• वज्रसंस्पर्शैः: with (weapons) having thunderbolt-like touch
• वज्रसंस्पर्शैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र + संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वज्रस्य संस्पर्शः येषाम्/वज्र-स्पर्श-सदृशाः) विशेषणम् (तोमरादीनाम्)

• शक्तिभिः: with lances/javelins
• शक्तिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• मार्गणैः: with arrows
• मार्गणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चयार्थे

• जलेशम्: the lord of waters (Varuṇa)
• जलेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य ईशः)

• ताडयामास: struck / beat
• ताडयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तड्/√ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (ताडय-)

• मुद्गरैः: with hammers/maces
• मुद्गरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• कणपैः: with clubs/staves (kaṇapa)
• कणपैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कणप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चयार्थे

Speakers

• Narrative layer not explicitly provided in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada framing)

Primary Deities

• Varuṇa (Jaleśa)

Key Themes

• Daitya–Deva Conflict
• Weapon imagery
• Escalation of violence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Escalating weaponry illustrates how conflict multiplies harm once restraint fails; the purāṇic lesson often implied is that victory grounded only in force is unstable, necessitating a dharmic, divinely guided resolution.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita-style martial narration within the broader purāṇic account of divine-asuric struggles; it supports the narrative arc leading into avatāra-driven restoration of balance.

What is the symbolic significance?

Assault on ‘Jaleśa’ symbolizes an attack on the sustaining, life-supporting element (waters/order). The ‘vajra-like’ contact evokes Indra’s paradigm of decisive divine power, but here mirrored through asuric aggression—highlighting the inversion of sacred power when wielded without alignment to ṛta/dharma.