Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 44

Jabali Bound on the Banyan Tree and Nandayanti’s Appeal at Sri-Kantha on the Yamuna

Devanagari script

अस्वातन्त्र्यं तवास्तीह प्रदाने स्वत्मनो ऽनघे पिता तवास्ति धर्मिष्ठः सर्वशिल्पविशारदः

Transliteration

asvātantryaṃ tavāstīha pradāne svatmano 'naghe pitā tavāsti dharmiṣṭhaḥ sarvaśilpaviśāradaḥ

Translation

「咎なき人よ、この身を差し出すこと（婚姻）において、ここではあなたに自立の権限はありません。あなたの父君がいらっしゃる—最もダルマに篤く、あらゆる技芸に通じた方（すなわち万事に有能な方）です。」

Word by Word

• अस्वातन्त्र्यम्: lack of independence
• अस्वातन्त्र्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + svātantrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here/in this matter
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रदाने: in giving (in marriage)
• प्रदाने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्व-आत्मनः: of your own self
• स्व-आत्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य आत्मनः)

• अनघे: O blameless one
• अनघे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaghā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मिष्ठः: most righteous
• धर्मिष्ठः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक; इष्ठ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (पिता इति)

• सर्व-शिल्प-विशारदः: skilled in all arts
• सर्व-शिल्प-विशारदः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + śilpa + viśārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (सर्वेषु शिल्पेषु विशारदः)

Speakers

• The sakhīs (friends) addressing the maiden.

Key Themes

• Guardianship and social dharma
• Father as dhārmika authority
• Competence/qualification (śilpa) as legitimacy

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the doctrinal point of ‘asvātantrya’ (non-autonomy) here?

It reflects a dharma-oriented social model where a maiden’s marriage is typically arranged/authorized by the father or guardian; the verse articulates that norm explicitly.

Why praise the father as ‘sarvaśilpaviśārada’?

The epithet legitimizes his decision-making: he is not only righteous (dharmiṣṭha) but also practically competent, implying he can judge suitability, alliances, and welfare.

Does this verse have any explicit tīrtha/geographical data?

No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographical orientation, these lines are purely social-narrative and contain no named river, lake, forest, or tīrtha.