Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 55

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

अष्टौ ये वसवः ख्याता धराद्यास्ते महासुरान् अष्टावेव महेष्वासान् वारयामासुराहवे

Transliteration

aṣṭau ye vasavaḥ khyātā dharādyāste mahāsurān aṣṭāveva maheṣvāsān vārayāmāsurāhave

Translation

Les huit Vasus renommés—à commencer par Dharā—retinrent au combat huit grands Asuras, archers d’une puissance redoutable.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic sūta/ṛṣi voice) continuing the battle roster (exact interlocutors not specified in input).

Primary Deities

• The Eight Vasus (including Dharā/Earth)

Key Themes

• Collective divine guardianship
• Vedic deity groups in Purāṇic narrative
• Defense of cosmic order
• Battle cataloging

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the ‘eight Vasus’ referred to here?

The Vasus are a traditional set of eight deities known from Vedic and Itihāsa-Purāṇa sources. The verse signals them collectively and specifies ‘Dharā’ (Earth) as one member in this particular enumeration, without listing the remaining seven here.

What does ‘vārayām āsuḥ’ convey about the Vasus’ role?

It indicates a defensive action—checking, restraining, or repelling. The Vasus function as stabilizers of the cosmos, preventing the Asuras (here, elite archers) from breaking the divine formation.

Does ‘Dharā’ here introduce a geographical reference?

Not in the strict tīrtha-geography sense. ‘Dharā’ is used as a divine/cosmic designation (Earth as a Vasu). No specific place-name (river, kṣetra, forest, or tīrtha) is provided in this śloka.