Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 24

Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाश्च तपो धर्मं तीर्थयात्राश्च कुर्वते वैश्याश्च पशुवृत्तिस्थाः शूद्राः शुश्रूषणे रताः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāśca tapo dharmaṃ tīrthayātrāśca kurvate vaiśyāśca paśuvṛttisthāḥ śūdrāḥ śuśrūṣaṇe ratāḥ

Translation

ブラーフマナたちはタパス（苦行）とダルマを修し、ティールタ（聖地）への巡礼を行った。ヴァイシャは牛を中心とする生業に従事し、シュードラは奉仕に専心した。

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राः: pilgrimages
• तीर्थयात्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थयात्रा (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + यात्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कुर्वते: do, perform
• कुर्वते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वैश्याः: Vaiśyas
• वैश्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• पशुवृत्तिस्थाः: engaged in cattle-based livelihood
• पशुवृत्तिस्थाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पशुवृत्तिस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; पशु + वृत्ति + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण of वैश्याः

• शूद्राः: Śūdras
• शूद्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• शुश्रूषणे: in service, in attendance
• शुश्रूषणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• रताः: devoted, engaged
• रताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; रम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; predicate adjective of शूद्राः

Speakers

• Narrative frame not explicit in input; narrator summarizes societal conditions

Key Themes

• Varṇāśrama-dharma
• Social order
• Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā)
• Austerity (tapas)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text links societal flourishing to each group performing its prescribed duties: spiritual disciplines (tapas, tīrtha) and economic/service roles together sustain dharma in a stable polity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita/Manvantara-style societal description: while not a full manvantara account, it uses a reign-description to depict dharma’s operation through varṇāśrama.

What is the symbolic significance?

Varṇāśrama functioning is presented as a visible sign of dharma’s restoration after adharma; pilgrimage and austerity indicate renewed access to sacred order, not merely political stability.