Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

स प्राह गच्छ दुर्बुद्धे मा त्वां शूलिन् निपातये भवान् पापसमायुक्तः पापिष्ठं को जिघांसति

Transliteration

sa prāha gaccha durbuddhe mā tvāṃ śūlin nipātaye bhavān pāpasamāyuktaḥ pāpiṣṭhaṃ ko jighāṃsati

Translation

彼は言った。「去れ、邪なる心の者よ。三叉戟を執る者よ、我は汝を打ち倒さぬ。汝は罪に満ちている—最も罪深き者を、誰が殺そうと望むであろうか。」

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (अह धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/Parokṣa), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (गम् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्बुद्धे: O evil-minded one
• दुर्बुद्धे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुष्टा बुद्धिः यस्य/दुर्बुद्धिः)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (निषेध/Prohibition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• शूलिन्: O trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा एकवचन (contextually address: Vocative); इन्-प्रत्ययान्त

• निपातये: may I strike down / cause to fall
• निपातये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+पत् (पत् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; हेतुमदर्थे (causative sense intended: ‘cause to fall/strike down’)

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थक-सर्वनाम (honorific ‘you’)

• पापसमायुक्तः: associated with sin
• पापसमायुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्+युक्त (युज् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पापेन समायुक्तः)

• पापिष्ठम्: the most sinful (one)
• पापिष्ठम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अतिशयार्थे तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• जिघांसति: wishes to kill
• जिघांसति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (हन् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; desiderative (सन्) stem: जिघांस-

Speakers

• Unnamed mahātmā/puruṣa addressing Rudra (Śūlin); narrative frame likely Pulastya → Nārada (per Purāṇic convention
• not explicit in input)

Primary Deities

• Rudra (Śiva)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Ethics (restraint/non-violence)
• Purāṇic dialogue
• Sectarian harmony (implicit: a ‘mahātmā’ restrains Rudra rather than opposing him)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even when one has the power to punish, restraint is praised; destroying the deeply sinful is portrayed as spiritually unrewarding, implying that correction, withdrawal, or non-engagement may be superior to violent retribution.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best classified under Vamśānucarita/Carita-type narrative material (didactic episode within a story), rather than cosmology (sarga/pratisarga) or genealogies proper.

What is the symbolic significance?

Rudra as Śūlin represents punitive cosmic force; the speaker’s refusal to ‘strike down’ suggests that dharma includes discrimination in the use of power, and that tapas/kshetra-oriented sanctity (developed in the next verses) can redirect even fierce divinity toward higher aims.