Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 75

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

ब्रह्म पद्मविमानेन उर्ध्वमाक्रम्य सर्वतः नैवान्तमलभद् ब्रह्मन् विस्मितः पुनरागतः

Transliteration

brahma padmavimānena urdhvamākramya sarvataḥ naivāntamalabhad brahman vismitaḥ punarāgataḥ

Translation

Brahmā, s’élevant vers le haut de toutes parts dans le vimāna de lotus, ne trouva pas la limite (de cela), ô brāhmane ; saisi d’étonnement, il revint de nouveau.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पद्म-विमानेन: by the lotus-aerial car
• पद्म-विमानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आक्रम्य: having ascended/stepped
• आक्रम्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• सर्वतः: on all sides; everywhere
• सर्वतः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• अन्तम्: end/limit
• अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• अलभत्: found/obtained
• अलभत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• विस्मितः: astonished
• विस्मितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+स्मि/स्मय्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• आगतः: returned/came back
• आगतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (used as finite sense)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic frame; direct address 'brahman' indicates a sage-listener (commonly Nārada) though not explicit here

Primary Deities

• Brahmā
• Śiva (implied via the liṅga)

Key Themes

• Transcendence and immeasurability
• Cosmic axis symbolism
• Epistemic humility
• Non-sectarian theology (Śiva’s sign as beyond Brahmā’s measure)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Status and intellect do not guarantee final knowledge: Brahmā’s inability to find the ‘end’ teaches restraint in metaphysical claims and encourages devotion grounded in awe rather than pride.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Again, this aligns with Carita/Vamśānucarita narrative instruction—didactic storytelling about divine realities—rather than Sarga/Pratisarga or Manvantara cataloguing.

What is the symbolic significance?

Brahmā’s upward search mirrors Viṣṇu’s downward search, forming a complete cosmological sweep. The failure in both directions encodes the doctrine that the Supreme (here signified by the liṅga) transcends spatial extremes and conceptual boundaries.