Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 11

The Account and Merit of Śivadūtī

with the Nāga-tīrtha at Puṣkara

Devanagari script

प्रादुर्भावो वामनस्य तथाभूतो नराधिप । पुनस्त्रिविक्रमो भूत्वा वामनो भूदवामनः

Transliteration

prādurbhāvo vāmanasya tathābhūto narādhipa | punastrivikramo bhūtvā vāmano bhūdavāmanaḥ

Translation

Ô roi, telle fut la manifestation de Vāmana. Puis, de nouveau, devenu Trivikrama, Vāmana cessa d’être un nain.

Word by Word

• prādurbhāvaḥ: manifestation; appearance
• prādurbhāvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prādur-bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः: ‘प्रादुः’ (अव्यय) + ‘भाव’ = manifestation/appearance

• vāmanasya: of Vāmana
• vāmanasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• tathābhūtaḥ: such; of that form
• tathābhūtaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + bhūta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘भूत’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘तथैव भूतो’ = being so/just like that

• narādhipa: O king (lord of men)
• narādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘नराणाम् अधिपः’

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘पुनः’

• trivikramaḥ: Trivikrama (the three-strider)
• trivikramaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः/बहुव्रीहिसदृश-नाम: ‘त्रीणि विक्रमाणि यस्य’ (traditional epithet)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु) ; bhūtvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): ‘भूत्वा’ = having become

• vāmanaḥ: Vāmana
• vāmanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhūta-avāmanaḥ: became non-dwarf; grew beyond dwarf form
• bhūta-avāmanaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + avāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः: ‘अवामनः भूतो’ = became non-dwarf (no longer small)

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (likely a narrator addressing a king: 'narādhipa')

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: punastrivikramo = punaḥ + trivikramaḥ. bhūdavāmanaḥ read as bhūta-avāmanaḥ (sandhi: a + a → ā; written with d as euphonic in some recensions). prādurbhāvaḥ is avyayībhāva (prādur + bhāva).

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Trivikrama

FAQs

What is the main idea of this verse?

It summarizes Viṣṇu’s Vāmana manifestation and his subsequent expansion into Trivikrama, indicating the shift from the dwarf form to the cosmic, all-pervading stride.

How does this verse support Vaishnava theology?

It highlights Viṣṇu’s sovereignty and freedom to assume forms: the same divine being appears as humble Vāmana and then reveals cosmic magnitude as Trivikrama.

What ethical lesson is implied in the Vāmana–Trivikrama episode?

It points to the limits of pride and possession: worldly power can be measured and surpassed by the divine, encouraging humility and dharmic restraint.