Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 44

Jabali Bound on the Banyan Tree and Nandayanti’s Appeal at Sri-Kantha on the Yamuna

Devanagari script

अस्वातन्त्र्यं तवास्तीह प्रदाने स्वत्मनो ऽनघे पिता तवास्ति धर्मिष्ठः सर्वशिल्पविशारदः

Transliteration

asvātantryaṃ tavāstīha pradāne svatmano 'naghe pitā tavāsti dharmiṣṭhaḥ sarvaśilpaviśāradaḥ

Translation

«Ô irréprochable, en cette affaire où tu te donnes toi-même (en mariage), tu n’as pas ici d’indépendance. Ton père est présent—très ferme dans le Dharma et versé en tous les arts (c’est-à-dire compétent en toute chose).»

Word by Word

• अस्वातन्त्र्यम्: lack of independence
• अस्वातन्त्र्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + svātantrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here/in this matter
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रदाने: in giving (in marriage)
• प्रदाने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्व-आत्मनः: of your own self
• स्व-आत्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य आत्मनः)

• अनघे: O blameless one
• अनघे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaghā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मिष्ठः: most righteous
• धर्मिष्ठः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक; इष्ठ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (पिता इति)

• सर्व-शिल्प-विशारदः: skilled in all arts
• सर्व-शिल्प-विशारदः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + śilpa + viśārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (सर्वेषु शिल्पेषु विशारदः)

Speakers

• The sakhīs (friends) addressing the maiden.

Key Themes

• Guardianship and social dharma
• Father as dhārmika authority
• Competence/qualification (śilpa) as legitimacy

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the doctrinal point of ‘asvātantrya’ (non-autonomy) here?

It reflects a dharma-oriented social model where a maiden’s marriage is typically arranged/authorized by the father or guardian; the verse articulates that norm explicitly.

Why praise the father as ‘sarvaśilpaviśārada’?

The epithet legitimizes his decision-making: he is not only righteous (dharmiṣṭha) but also practically competent, implying he can judge suitability, alliances, and welfare.

Does this verse have any explicit tīrtha/geographical data?

No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographical orientation, these lines are purely social-narrative and contain no named river, lake, forest, or tīrtha.