Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 34
Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti
नद्यामेवावतीर्णो ऽस्मि गृहीतश्चाहिना बलान् समानीतो ऽस्मि पाताले दृष्टश्चात्र भवानपि
nadyāmevāvatīrṇo 'smi gṛhītaścāhinā balān samānīto 'smi pātāle dṛṣṭaścātra bhavānapi
« Je suis descendu dans la rivière elle-même, puis un serpent m’a saisi de force. J’ai été conduit à Pātāla, et ici aussi je vous ai vu. »
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FAQs
The verse highlights the vulnerability of embodied beings to forces beyond their control (daiva/karma-like constraint), setting up a turn from worldly power to seeking higher knowledge (later expressed as inquiry into tīrthas).
This aligns most closely with Vamśānucarita/Carita-style narration (accounts connected to lineages and notable figures) rather than cosmogenesis; it functions as episodic narrative within the Purāṇic story-flow.
The river-to-Pātāla movement can symbolize descent from the visible world to hidden realms of consequence; the serpent (ahi) often marks binding, subterranean power, and the constriction of pride or agency before spiritual questioning begins.