Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Coronation, Shloka 13

Andhaka’s Coronation, Boons from Shiva, and the Daiva–Asura War (Vahana Catalogues)

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच रुद्रादीनां वदस्वेह वाहनानि च सर्वशः एकैकस्यापि धर्मत्र परं कौतूहलं मम

Transliteration

nārada uvāca rudrādīnāṃ vadasveha vāhanāni ca sarvaśaḥ ekaikasyāpi dharmatra paraṃ kautūhalaṃ mama

Translation

Nārada dit : Dis ici, en détail, les vāhana (montures) de Rudra et des autres. À propos de chacun, ô homme de dharma, j’éprouve une grande curiosité.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रुद्र-आदीनाम्: of Rudra and others
• रुद्र-आदीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ = ‘and others’ (आदिशब्द-समास)

• वदस्व: tell (please)
• वदस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वाहनानि: vehicles/mounts
• वाहनानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• सर्वशः: in every way / completely
• सर्वशः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• एक-एकस्य: of each one
• एक-एकस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘each one’s’ (पुनरुक्त-समास)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Nipata (निपात/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• धर्म: O Dharma (Yama)
• धर्म: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative form), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे (addressing)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• परम्: great/supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कौतूहलम्’)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speakers

• Nārada (questioner) to the narrator/teacher (likely Pulastya in the standard frame
• though not explicit in the provided excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Rudra (and Rudra-class deities)
• Other deities (unspecified)

Key Themes

• Dialogue framework (question–answer pedagogy)
• Iconography and vahana lore
• Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis potential (shared cosmological cataloguing)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Legitimate curiosity (kautūhala) directed toward sacred knowledge is presented as a dharmic impulse; Purāṇic teaching proceeds through respectful inquiry and systematic exposition.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It functions as a framing device within carita-style narration, introducing a catalog (often ancillary to cosmology and deity-description) rather than directly addressing sarga/pratisarga.

What is the symbolic significance?

Vāhanas encode a deity’s sphere of power (e.g., bull for dharma/strength, lion for sovereignty, bird for transcendence). Nārada’s question signals a shift from mere procession narrative to interpretive iconographic theology.