Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 12

Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti

Devanagari script

जानुनी गूढगुल्फे च शुभे जङ्घे त्वरोमशे विभातो ऽस्यास्तथा पादावलक्तकसमत्विषौ

Transliteration

jānunī gūḍhagulphe ca śubhe jaṅghe tvaromaśe vibhāto 'syāstathā pādāvalaktakasamatviṣau

Translation

Ses genoux et ses chevilles bien dessinés, et ses mollets de bon augure, sans poil, resplendissent ; de même ses pieds brillent d’un éclat égal au rouge de la laque.

Word by Word

• जानुनी: (her) two knees
• जानुनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• गूढगुल्फे: (her) two compact/hidden ankles
• गूढगुल्फे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गूढ + गुल्फ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय: गूढौ गुल्फौ (ankles that are well-hidden/compact)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• शुभे: beautiful, auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; qualifying जङ्घे

• जङ्घे: (her) two shanks/legs
• जङ्घे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जङ्घा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle (निपात)

• अरोमशे: hairless/smooth
• अरोमशे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + रोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; negative prefix a-; qualifying जङ्घे

• विभातः: shine/appear splendid (the two...)
• विभातः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भा (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• पादावलक्तकसमत्विषौ: (her) two feet with a glow equal to red foot-dye (alta)
• पादावलक्तकसमत्विषौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + अवलक्तक + सम + त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; compound: पादयोः अवलक्तकस्य समा त्विष् यस्य (having equal luster to foot-dye/alta)

Speakers

• Not stated in the provided excerpt (often Pulastya ↔ Nārada in the Purāṇic frame
• but unspecified here)

Primary Deities

• Śrī/Lakṣmī

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Devī iconography
• Auspicious marks (lakṣaṇa)
• Ritual aesthetics (red lac on feet)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Auspiciousness is communicated through culturally recognized signs (radiant, well-formed limbs; red-colored feet), implying that dharma and prosperity are meant to be ‘visible’ in conduct and ritual order, not merely abstract.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Like the surrounding verses, it is stuti/varṇana within narrative rather than a pañcalakṣaṇa core segment; it supports devotional mood (bhakti-rasa) and theological framing.

What is the symbolic significance?

The red-lac brilliance of the feet evokes śakti, auspicious marriage/prosperity symbolism, and the notion that the Goddess’s ‘feet’ are a locus of refuge (śaraṇāgati), a common devotional motif even when not explicitly stated.