Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 36

Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)

Devanagari script

हीनप्रतिज्ञो देवेश कथं जीवेत मादृशः तस्मात्तवाग्रतो विष्णो करिष्ये कायशोधनम्

Transliteration

hīnapratijño deveśa kathaṃ jīveta mādṛśaḥ tasmāttavāgrato viṣṇo kariṣye kāyaśodhanam

Translation

「おお神々の主よ、誓願を失い、あるいは誓いを果たせぬなら、私のような者がどうして生きられましょう。ゆえに、ヴィシュヌよ、あなたの御前で我が身の浄めを行います。」

Word by Word

• हीनप्रतिज्ञः: one who has failed his promise
• हीनप्रतिज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सदृश: ‘हीना प्रतिज्ञा यस्य/हीन-प्रतिज्ञः’ (one whose vow is deficient)

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जीवेत: could live / should live
• जीवेत: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मादृशः: one like me
• मादृशः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘मद्-दृश’ (one like me)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोग; अपादानार्थक (therefore/from that reason)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्रतः: in front (of)
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (locative adverb: in front of)

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• करिष्ये: I will do
• करिष्ये: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कायशोधनम्: purification of the body
• कायशोधनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक) + शोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कायस्य शोधनम्’

Speakers

• Prahlāda (addressing Viṣṇu; within the narrated episode)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Satya
• Vow-keeping
• Ritual purity
• Bhakti (address to Viṣṇu)
• Self-discipline / tapas-like resolve

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Personal honor is tied to satya: life without fidelity to one’s pledge is depicted as morally untenable. The turn to kāya-śodhana frames ethical repair as embodied discipline performed in the deity’s presence.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita/Carita-style moral exemplum within narrative history; secondarily dharma-instruction (ācāra) through the language of purification and vow.

What is the symbolic significance?

Kāya-śodhana symbolizes inner realignment made visible through bodily act—purity is not abstract but enacted. Addressing Viṣṇu ‘before you’ stresses divine witness as the guarantor of truth.