Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 12

Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)

Devanagari script

ततो नारायणश्चापं समाकृष्य महामुने बिभेद मार्गणैस्तीक्ष्णैः प्रह्लादं सर्वमर्मसु

Transliteration

tato nārāyaṇaścāpaṃ samākṛṣya mahāmune bibheda mārgaṇaistīkṣṇaiḥ prahlādaṃ sarvamarmasu

Translation

तब, हे महामुने, नारायण ने धनुष खींचकर तीक्ष्ण बाणों से प्रह्लाद के समस्त मर्मस्थलों को बेध दिया।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण) / Temporal adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) / Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• आपम्: bow
• आपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘चापम्’ इत्यत्र

• समाकृष्य: having drawn (back)
• समाकृष्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/ल्यप्) — ‘सम्+आ+कृष्’ = having drawn (the bow)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मुनिः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• बिभेद: he pierced/struck
• बिभेद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhid (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √भिद् (भिदँ)

• मार्गणैः: with arrows
• मार्गणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārgaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• तीक्ष्णैः: sharp
• तीक्ष्णैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīkṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘मार्गणैः’

• प्रह्लादम्: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वमर्मसु: in all vital spots
• सर्वमर्मसु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-marman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषु मर्मसु); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Narrator voice addressing a sage (mahāmune); likely within Pulastya → Nārada framework
• not explicit here

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Nārāyaṇa)

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Divine sovereignty
• Bhakti (Prahlāda as paradigmatic devotee, context-sensitive)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse portrays uncompromising divine efficacy: when the Lord acts, the result is decisive. In Purāṇic ethics, this also warns that even great devotees/daityas (Prahlāda) may be situated within larger cosmic roles; personal virtue does not negate the unfolding of divine governance.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / Carita: an action-centered narrative unit illustrating the interaction of divine and daitya lineages and their exemplary figures.

What is the symbolic significance?

Striking the ‘marmans’ (vital points) signifies total mastery—nothing remains untouched by īśvara’s will. It also dramatizes the tension between Prahlāda’s famed devotion and his asura-context, a Purāṇic motif where devotion and cosmic conflict can coexist.