Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं च्यवनस्य दितीश्वरः प्रोवाच धर्मसंयुक्तं स वाक्यं वाक्यकोविदः

Transliteration

etacchrutvā tu vacanaṃ cyavanasya ditīśvaraḥ provāca dharmasaṃyuktaṃ sa vākyaṃ vākyakovidaḥ

Translation

Ayant entendu ces paroles de Cyavana, le seigneur des Daitya, habile en l’art de la parole, prononça une déclaration empreinte de dharma (droiture).

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (absolutive/gerund), ‘having heard’

• tu: but/then
• tu: Sambandha/Avyaya (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), adversative/continuative

• vacanam: speech/words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• cyavanasya: of Cyavana
• cyavanasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cyavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ditīśvaraḥ: lord of Diti’s (sons)
• ditīśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ditī + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘दितेः ईश्वरः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• provāca: said/spoke forth
• provāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• dharma-saṃyuktam: endowed with dharma/righteous
• dharma-saṃyuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/तृतीया-भाव: ‘धर्मेण/धर्मसहितं’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies vākyaṃ

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; pronoun

• vākyam: statement
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• vākyakovidaḥ: knower of speech/eloquent one
• vākyakovidaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya + kovida (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विषय-तत्पुरुष: ‘वाक्येषु कोविदः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing the Daitya lord’s reaction; Cyavana referenced as prior speaker

Key Themes

• Sage–king dialogue
• Dharma in Daitya discourse
• Preparation for Prahlāda’s inquiry

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even a Daitya ruler is portrayed as capable of dharma-aligned speech; Purāṇas often use this to show that dharma is not restricted by birth-group but by conduct and receptivity to sage counsel.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It belongs to narrative history (carita) embedded in the Purāṇa—supporting moral instruction through exemplary dialogue rather than sarga/pratisarga material.

What is the symbolic significance?

“Skilled in speech” paired with “joined to dharma” implies that rhetoric is meant to serve truth and right order; it anticipates the shift from power-politics to sacred inquiry (tīrtha-knowledge).