Vamana Purana — Shiva's Wedding Procession (Part 2), Shloka 2

Shiva’s Wedding Procession to Kailasa and the Marriage of Girija (Kali)

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणां शिरसा नत्वा समाभाष्य शतक्रतुम् आलोक्यान्यान् सुरगणान् संभावयत् स शङ्करः

Transliteration

brahmaṇāṃ śirasā natvā samābhāṣya śatakratum ālokyānyān suragaṇān saṃbhāvayat sa śaṅkaraḥ

Translation

शंकर ने ब्राह्मणों के चरणों में सिर झुकाया, शतक्रतु (इन्द्र) से संवाद किया, और अन्य देवसमूहों की ओर देखकर उनका सम्मानपूर्वक अभिवादन किया।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणाम्: of the Brahmās
• ब्रह्मणाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; 'of the Brahmās/Brahmins'

• शिरसा: with (his) head
• शिरसा: करण (तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'with the head'

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive); 'having bowed'

• समाभाष्य: having addressed
• समाभाष्य: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-भाष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund); 'having addressed/spoken to'

• शतक्रतुम्: Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतुम्: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास: शतम्+क्रतुः (यस्य सः) = 'he whose rites are a hundred' (इन्द्र)

• आलोक्य: having looked at
• आलोक्य: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund); 'having looked at/seen'

• अन्यान्: other
• अन्यान्: कर्म (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण of 'सुरगणान्'

• सुरगणान्: the groups of gods
• सुरगणान्: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर+गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: सुराणां गणाः = 'groups of gods'

• संभावयत्: honored / showed respect to
• संभावयत्: क्रिया (आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भावय् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'he honored/treated respectfully'

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

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करः: कर्ता (प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; proper name (Śiva)

Speakers

• Narratorial layer not specified in input (often framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Devas (suragaṇa)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Deva etiquette and hierarchy
• Respect to Brahmins
• Courtly protocol

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse foregrounds dharmic decorum: even the supreme deity (Śiva) models respect toward Brahmins (as custodians of Vedic order) and maintains cordiality with the devas. Authority is shown as compatible with humility and social-ritual propriety.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best classified under Vamśānucarita / narrative of divine and royal lineages and their episodes (it is not cosmogony). It functions as an event-sequence within a larger mythic account rather than sarga/pratisarga.

What is the symbolic significance?

Śiva’s bow to Brahmins symbolizes alignment of divine power with Vedic dharma; his honoring of Indra and the devas symbolizes cosmic cooperation—divine roles are differentiated but harmonized in maintaining ṛta (order).