Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 41

Chanda and Munda Discover Katyayani; Mahishasura’s Proposal and the Vishnu-Panjara Protection

Devanagari script

यदा न देव्या कवचं कृतं शस्त्रनिबर्हणम् तदा रक्षार्थमस्यास्तु विष्णुपञ्जरमुक्तवान्

Transliteration

yadā na devyā kavacaṃ kṛtaṃ śastranibarhaṇam tadā rakṣārthamasyāstu viṣṇupañjaramuktavān

Translation

Lorsque l’armure de la Déesse—faite pour neutraliser les armes—n’était pas établie, alors, pour sa protection, il proclama le «Viṣṇu-pañjara» (l’enceinte protectrice de Viṣṇu).

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• devyā: by the goddess
• devyā: Karaṇa (करण/instrument/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd) एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे 'by the goddess'

• kavacam: armor; protective charm
• kavacam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; here as object of 'kṛtam' (made)

• kṛtam: made
• kṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'made/done'

• śastra-nibarhaṇam: weapon-destroying
• śastra-nibarhaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + nibarhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (instrumental/तृतीया sense: 'by weapons' or object-sense 'weapons-destroying'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; kavacam इति विशेषणम्

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• rakṣā-artham: for protection
• rakṣā-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (purpose: 'for protection'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative of purpose)

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/beneficiary-possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Gen./6th), एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• viṣṇu-pañjaram: Viṣṇu’s protective enclosure (pañjara)
• viṣṇu-pañjaram: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + pañjara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (genitive: 'Viṣṇu's cage/armor'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Acc./2nd), एकवचन

• uktavān: (he) declared/uttered
• uktavān: Karta (कर्ता/agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवतु/क्तवत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः; 'having said/declared'

Speakers

• Narratorial voice indicates ‘he declared’ (uktavān); specific speaker not named in the provided excerpt

Primary Deities

• Mahādevī (Devi)
• Viṣṇu

Key Themes

• Sectarian Harmony (Śākta–Vaiṣṇava complementarity)
• Protection/Apotropaic Mantras
• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Mantric theology

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The tradition offers layered refuges: when one mode of protection is unavailable, another dharmic safeguard is invoked. Practically, it models resilience—do not collapse when a preferred support is absent; turn to another sanctioned refuge.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is didactic narrative (carita) with embedded ritual/mantric instruction, a common Purāṇic technique: story legitimizes and transmits protective rites without being a primary pancalakṣaṇa category like sarga.

What is the symbolic significance?

The shift from Devi-kavaca to Viṣṇu-pañjara signals non-sectarian integration: Śakti and Viṣṇu are complementary channels of the same protective cosmic order. ‘Pañjara’ (enclosure) symbolizes a sacred boundary that adharma cannot penetrate.