Vamana Purana — Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas, Shloka 28

Sukesha’s Boon, the Twelve Dharmas of Beings, and the Cosmography of the Seven Dvipas with the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

योनयो द्वादशैवैतास्तासु धर्माश्च राक्षस ब्रह्मणा कथिताः पुण्या द्वादशैव गतिप्रदाः

Transliteration

yonayo dvādaśaivaitāstāsu dharmāśca rākṣasa brahmaṇā kathitāḥ puṇyā dvādaśaiva gatipradāḥ

Translation

Inilah sungguh dua belas yoni. Di dalamnya, wahai Rākṣasa, dharma-dharma yang dinyatakan oleh Brahmā adalah bajik; jumlahnya dua belas dan menganugerahkan tujuan (gati).

Word by Word

• योनयः: origins/wombs/kinds
• योनयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण, प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे (numeral adjective: twelve; agreeing with योनयः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural; pronoun)

• तासु: among/in those
• तासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Locative, Plural; pronoun)

• धर्माः: dharmas/qualities
• धर्माः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• राक्षस: O Rākṣasa
• राक्षस: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• कथिताः: told/declared
• कथिताः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom, Plural)

• पुण्याः: meritorious/holy
• पुण्याः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; qualifying धर्माः)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण, प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे (twelve; qualifying धर्माः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (indeed)

• गतिप्रदाः: granting a (good) destination
• गतिप्रदाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गति-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; qualifying धर्माः)

Speakers

• Narrative speaker (unspecified in these verses) addressing a 'Rākṣasa'; verse introduces Brahmā as the authority who taught these dharmas

Primary Deities

• Brahma

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karma and gati (destiny)
• Cosmological taxonomy (yoni/species)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is presented as context-sensitive: different forms of embodied life (yoni) have corresponding norms. Ethical order is not arbitrary but aligned with cosmic structure, and right conduct yields an appropriate gati (destiny/attainment).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Primarily within Sarga/Pratisarga-related material (cosmological structuring of beings) and secondarily within Dharma-śāstra style instruction embedded in Purāṇic narration.

What is the symbolic significance?

The number ‘twelve’ functions as a completeness marker (a full set), implying a total map of embodied conditions and their moral trajectories. Brahmā’s role signals that dharma is grounded in the cosmic lawgiver/creator principle rather than sectarian preference.