Vamana Purana — Rudra's Wrath & Kalarupa, Shloka 29

Rudra’s Wrath at Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Iconography of Kālarūpa through the Zodiac

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच कालरूपी त्वयाख्यातः शंभुर्गगनगोचरः लक्षणं च स्वरूपं च सर्वं व्याख्यातुमर्हसि

Transliteration

nārada uvāca kālarūpī tvayākhyātaḥ śaṃbhurgaganagocaraḥ lakṣaṇaṃ ca svarūpaṃ ca sarvaṃ vyākhyātumarhasi

Translation

Nārada dit : Tu as décrit Śambhu comme revêtant la forme du Temps et se mouvant dans le ciel. Il te convient d’exposer pleinement, à la fois ses caractéristiques et sa nature essentielle.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: कर्ता (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd sg perfect

• काल-रूपी: (as) time-formed
• काल-रूपी: कर्म (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular; तत्पुरुषः

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• आख्यातः: has been described
• आख्यातः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: कर्ता/विषय (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular

• गगन-गोचरः: moving in the sky
• गगन-गोचरः: विशेषण (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular; तत्पुरुषः (गगने गोचरः)

• लक्षणम्: characteristic
• लक्षणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular

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

• स्वरूपम्: true form
• स्वरूपम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular

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

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular; विशेषणम् (लक्षणं स्वरूपं च)

• व्याख्यातुम्: to explain
• व्याख्यातुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-ख्या (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); purpose

• अर्हसि: you ought / you are able
• अर्हसि: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 2nd sg

Speakers

• Nārada to Pulastya

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Purāṇic dialogue (ṛṣi-saṃvāda)
• Cosmic time (Kāla)
• Non-sectarian framing (potential Harihara compatibility)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames dharmic inquiry: a seeker (Nārada) requests not only names (kālarūpī) but also lakṣaṇa (observable marks) and svarūpa (essence). Ethically, it models disciplined questioning—moving from hearsay toward clarified understanding.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This sits most naturally under topics ancillary to sarga/pratisarga by treating Kāla (time) as a cosmic principle and describing a deity’s cosmic form; it is not vamśa/vamśānucarita. Classification: cosmological-theological exposition within sarga-type material.

What is the symbolic significance?

Calling Śiva ‘Time-formed’ and ‘sky-ranging’ suggests a cosmic, all-pervading sovereignty: time governs all embodied beings, and the ‘sky/heavens’ imagery links divine form to astral/celestial order—preparing for an astrological mapping in subsequent verses.