Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 20

Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Origin of Kapalin Rudra (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

पुरा त्वेकार्णवं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् नष्टटन्द्रार्कनक्षत्रं प्रणष्टपवनानलम्

Transliteration

purā tvekārṇavaṃ sarvaṃ jagatsthāvarajaṅgamam naṣṭaṭandrārkanakṣatraṃ praṇaṣṭapavanānalam

Translation

पूर्वकाल में समस्त जगत—स्थावर और जङ्गम—एक ही महासागर बन गया; इन्द्र, सूर्य और नक्षत्र लुप्त हो गए, तथा वायु और अग्नि भी शांत हो गईं।

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• एक-अर्णवम्: a single ocean (all water)
• एक-अर्णवम्: Karma (कर्म) (predicate/qualifier of सर्वं जगत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('one' qualifying 'ocean')

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karta (कर्ता) (topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: (consisting of) immobile and mobile beings
• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative: immobile and mobile) used adjectivally to जगत्

• नष्ट-तन्द्रा-अर्क-नक्षत्रम्: with sun and stars vanished
• नष्ट-तन्द्रा-अर्क-नक्षत्रम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (√नश् क्त) + तन्द्रा + अर्क + नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'with sun and stars vanished' (नष्ट as qualifier)

• प्रणष्ट-पवन-अनलम्: with wind and fire extinguished
• प्रणष्ट-पवन-अनलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणष्ट (प्र-√नश् क्त) + पवन + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'with wind and fire destroyed/ceased'

Speakers

• Not explicit in the provided verses; continuing the narrated pralaya account

Key Themes

• Pralaya
• Cosmic dissolution
• Elemental withdrawal
• Impermanence of the manifest cosmos

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

All categories of embodied existence—moving and unmoving—are shown as equally subject to dissolution; this relativizes worldly power and supports dharma as the lasting pursuit rather than attachment to transient structures.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Pratisarga context: the description of pralaya (dissolution into waters and withdrawal of luminaries/elements) is a standard prelude to recounting re-creation and re-ordering of the cosmos.

What is the symbolic significance?

The 'single ocean' symbolizes undifferentiated potentiality: when sun/stars and wind/fire vanish, measures of time, direction, and transformation collapse—indicating a return from differentiated experience to an unmarked state.