Shloka 32

Sati's Death & Virabhadra — Sati’s Death and the Assault on Daksha’s Sacrifice: Virabhadra versus the Devas

Devanagari script

वसवो ऽष्टौ महाभागा ग्रहा नव सुदारुणाः इन्द्राद्या द्वादशादित्या रुद्रास्त्वेकादशैव हि

Transliteration

vasavo 'ṣṭau mahābhāgā grahā nava sudāruṇāḥ indrādyā dvādaśādityā rudrāstvekādaśaiva hi

Translation

S’y trouvaient les huit Vasus, hautement fortunés; les neuf Grahas redoutables; les douze Ādityas à commencer par Indra; et, en vérité, les onze Rudras.

Word by Word

• वसवः: Vasus
• वसवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (संख्यावाचक) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to वसवः)

• महाभागाः: greatly fortunate
• महाभागाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः महान् भागः/भाग्यं येषाम् (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि-प्राय)

• ग्रहाः: planets/seizers
• ग्रहाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नव: nine
• नव: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (संख्यावाचक) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to ग्रहाः)

• सुदारुणाः: very fierce
• सुदारुणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण

• इन्द्राद्याः: beginning with Indra
• इन्द्राद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः इन्द्रः आदिः येषाम् (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-प्राय; ‘beginning with Indra’)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (संख्यावाचक) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to आदित्याः)

• आदित्याः: Ādityas
• आदित्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (संख्यावाचक) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to रुद्राः)

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

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निपात (for/indeed)

Speakers

• Frame not explicit in input; likely Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Vasus
• Grahas
• Adityas
• Rudras
• Indra

Key Themes

• Cosmic taxonomy
• Deva assemblies
• Ritual cosmology
• Shaiva presence (Rudras) alongside other deva-groups

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames the yajña as a cosmic institution involving multiple layers of divine governance—elemental (Vasus), solar/order (Ādityas), planetary fate/constraint (Grahas), and transformative power (Rudras). It implies that dharma is upheld by a coordinated cosmic ecology, not a single authority.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is ancillary cosmological cataloguing that supports narrative (carita) and also touches sarga-type material by listing deva-classes that function in creation and maintenance.

What is the symbolic significance?

Enumerations like this map the sacrifice onto the cosmos: yajña becomes a microcosm where time (Ādityas), material supports (Vasus), destiny/affliction (Grahas), and dissolution/transformation (Rudras) all converge—foreshadowing that disruption at the yajña reverberates through all cosmic functions.