Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 10

Chanda and Munda Discover Katyayani; Mahishasura’s Proposal and the Vishnu-Panjara Protection

Devanagari script

विभाति रम्यं जघनं मृगाक्ष्याः समन्ततो मेखलयावजुष्टम् मन्याम तं कामनराधिपस्य प्राकारगुप्तं नगरं सुदुर्गम्

Transliteration

vibhāti ramyaṃ jaghanaṃ mṛgākṣyāḥ samantato mekhalayāvajuṣṭam manyāma taṃ kāmanarādhipasya prākāraguptaṃ nagaraṃ sudurgam

Translation

Pinggul sang gadis bermata rusa tampak elok, dilingkari dari segala sisi oleh ikat pinggang. Kami menilainya laksana kota benteng milik penguasa asmara, terlindung oleh tembok-tembok dan amat sukar ditaklukkan.

Word by Word

• विभाति: shines
• विभाति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√भा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जघनम्)

• जघनम्: hips, loins
• जघनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जघन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here as कर्तृपद (subject) with neuter nominative = accusative form

• मृगाक्ष्याः: of the doe-eyed woman
• मृगाक्ष्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (मृगाक्षी = doe-eyed woman)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• मेखलया: by/with a girdle
• मेखलया: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेखला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवजुष्टम्: adorned, graced
• अवजुष्टम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of जघनम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव√जुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘enjoyed/adorned’

• मन्याम: we consider
• मन्याम: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (मन्यामहे/मन्यामः—poetic/variant)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कामनराधिपस्य: of the lord of lovers/men of desire
• कामनराधिपस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामनर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कामनराणाम् अधिपः)

• प्राकारगुप्तम्: fortified by walls
• प्राकारगुप्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of नगरम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकार + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त = कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्राकारेण गुप्तम् = protected by a wall)

• नगरम्: city
• नगरम्: Karma (कर्म; object of मन्याम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुदुर्गम्: very hard to conquer/enter
• सुदुर्गम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of नगरम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/उपसर्गपूर्वपद (सु-दुर्ग = very hard to access)

Speakers

• Narrative voice not explicit in the given excerpt (likely within Pulastya–Nārada frame
• but this verse itself reads as descriptive poetry)

Primary Deities

• Kāma (Makaradhvaja as Love-god’s epithet appears in next verse)

Key Themes

• Kāvya-style praise
• Śṛṅgāra (erotic aesthetics)
• Metaphor (body as city/fortress)
• Desire and restraint subtext

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse uses kāvya-metaphor to depict desire as a 'fortified city': attraction is powerful and difficult to overcome, implying the need for discernment (viveka) and self-mastery when confronted with sensory allure.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is not a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit (sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita). It functions as ancillary narrative-poetic material (upākhyāna/varṇana) embedded within the Purāṇic storyline.

What is the symbolic significance?

The 'girdle' as encircling rampart and the hips as an impregnable city symbolize the enthralling, enclosing power of kāma; the imagery frames desire as both attractive and strategically defended—i.e., not easily subdued by ordinary resolve.