Vamana Purana — Sukeshi's Inquiry into Dharma, Shloka 5

Sukeshi’s Inquiry into Dharma: The Seven Dvipas and the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

आजघान च बाणौघैरस्त्रैः स नारद तान् भस्मसात्तदा चक्रे नगानिव हुताशनः

Transliteration

ājaghāna ca bāṇaughairastraiḥ sa nārada tān bhasmasāttadā cakre nagāniva hutāśanaḥ

Translation

Et il les frappa par des torrents de flèches et d’armes ; ô Nārada, alors il les réduisit en cendres, tel le Feu (Hutāśana) brûlant les montagnes.

Word by Word

• आजघान: struck down/attacked
• आजघान: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• बाणौघैः: with torrents/volleys of arrows
• बाणौघैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाणौघ (प्रातिपदिक: बाण + ओघ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons
• अस्त्रैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• भस्मसात्: to ashes
• भस्मसात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भस्मसात् (अव्यय/निपातवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘to ashes, into ash-state’

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• चक्रे: made/turned (into)
• चक्रे: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नगान्: mountains/trees
• नगान्: उपमान-कर्म (Object in simile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-सूचक (simile particle)

• हुताशनः: fire (the consumer of offerings)
• हुताशनः: कर्ता (Karta; subject of implied comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुताशन (प्रातिपदिक: हुत + अशन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; अग्निः (fire)

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (dialogue framework inferred from vocative 'nārada')

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Astra warfare
• Heroic narrative

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse underscores the overwhelming force of divinely empowered weaponry and the inevitability of destruction when adharma-aligned forces meet superior dharma-backed power; it also cautions against pride in mere physical strength.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Primarily Vamśānucarita/Carita (narrative of deeds in dynastic/heroic accounts), presented as episodic battle-description rather than cosmogenesis (sarga) or dissolution (pralaya).

What is the symbolic significance?

Fire reducing even 'mountain-like' opponents to ash symbolizes the consuming clarity of divine ordinance: hardened resistance (like mountains) cannot withstand the purifying/annihilating force when dharma asserts itself.