Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 21

Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Origin of Kapalin Rudra (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

अप्रतर्क्यमविज्ञेयं भावाभावविवर्जितम् निमग्नुपर्वततरु तमोभूतं सुदुर्दसम्

Transliteration

apratarkyamavijñeyaṃ bhāvābhāvavivarjitam nimagnuparvatataru tamobhūtaṃ sudurdasam

Translation

C’était au-delà du raisonnement et inconnaissable, dépourvu à la fois de l’être et du non-être ; montagnes et arbres étaient engloutis, tout était devenu ténèbres, et l’état était extrêmement funeste.

Word by Word

• अप्रतर्क्यम्: inconceivable
• अप्रतर्क्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + प्रतर्क्य (प्रातिपदिक; √तर्क्/तर्क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समासपूर्वक विशेषण

• अविज्ञेयम्: unknowable
• अविज्ञेयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + विज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा + यत्/णीय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; णीयत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be known') with negation

• भाव-अभाव-विवर्जितम्: devoid of being and non-being
• भाव-अभाव-विवर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाव + अभाव + विवर्जित (वि-√वृज्/√वर्ज् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाव-अभाव इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व as prior member; whole as तत्पुरुष with विवर्जित ('devoid of')

• निमग्नु-पर्वत-तरु: with mountains and trees submerged
• निमग्नु-पर्वत-तरु: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमग्न (नि-√मज्ज् क्त) + पर्वत + तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'with mountains and trees submerged' (निमग्न as qualifier)

• तमः-भूतम्: turned into darkness
• तमः-भूतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् + भूत (भू क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'become darkness'

• सु-दुर्दसम्: very hard to endure/terrible
• सु-दुर्दसम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग/उपपद 'सु' intensifier

Speakers

• Not explicit in the provided verses; continuing the pralaya account attributed to ancient transmission

Key Themes

• Pralaya
• Limits of cognition
• Tamas (darkness) imagery
• Undifferentiated state

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse cautions that ultimate states (like dissolution) exceed ordinary pramāṇas (means of knowledge) such as inference and sensory cognition; it encourages humility and reliance on śāstra-guided insight for metaphysical questions.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

As pratisarga groundwork: by emphasizing the collapse of categories (bhāva/abhāva) and the submergence of the world, it sets the stage for how ordered creation is later reconstituted.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Bhāva-abhāva-vivarjita’ signals a suspension of conceptual binaries; ‘tamobhūta’ reflects the dominance of tamas when manifest differentiation dissolves—symbolizing the withdrawal of name-and-form prior to renewed emergence.