Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 38

Ritadhvaja’s Aid to Galava and Andhaka’s Infatuation with Gauri

Devanagari script

प्रहारं नाददत् तासां युवत्य इति चिन्तयन् ततो देव्या स दुष्टात्मा शतवर्या निराकृतः

Transliteration

prahāraṃ nādadat tāsāṃ yuvatya iti cintayan tato devyā sa duṣṭātmā śatavaryā nirākṛtaḥ

Translation

「彼女たちは若い女たちだ」と思い、彼は彼女らに一撃も加えなかった。するとその邪悪な心の者は、女神シャタヴァーリー（Śatavārī）によって退けられた。

Word by Word

• prahāram: a blow/strike
• prahāram: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• adadat: gave/inflicted
• adadat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• tāsām: of those (women)
• tāsām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen/6th), बहुवचन

• yuvatyai: to the young woman
• yuvatyai: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dat/4th), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• cintayan: thinking
• cintayan: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cint (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ; present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Apadana (अपादान/source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: ततः-कारक-अव्यय (from there/then)

• devyā: by the Goddess
• devyā: Karana (करण/agent-instrument; by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr/3rd), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• duṣṭātmā: the evil-souled one
• duṣṭātmā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣṭa + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (duṣṭaḥ ātmā yasya/duṣṭa-ātmā = evil-souled)

• śatavaryā: with/using Śatavarī (a weapon/implement; lit. 'hundred-...')
• śatavaryā: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatavarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr/3rd), एकवचन

• nirākṛtaḥ: was repulsed/driven back
• nirākṛtaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-ā-kṛ (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing events; implied audience within the Purāṇa’s frame (not specified in prompt).

Primary Deities

• Devī (Ambikā/Śatavārī)

Key Themes

• Devī’s protective power
• Ethical hesitation in battle (yuvatī-saṃjñā)
• Defeat of adharma through divine agency
• Illusion/appearance as a tactical motif (women as perceived forms)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Andhaka refrain from striking—what is the narrative point of “yuvatyaḥ” here?

The verse highlights a moment of hesitation based on perceived social/ethical restraint: he believes the opponents are “young women” (yuvatyaḥ). Purāṇic battle narratives often use such perception-shifts to show how divine power manipulates the demon’s mind and exposes his vulnerability.

Who is “Śatavārī” in this context?

Śatavārī functions as a specific epithet or localized form of the Goddess (Devī/Ambikā) active in the Andhaka episode. The text presents her as the immediate agent who repels the demon, emphasizing Devī’s autonomous martial potency.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographical marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographical orientation elsewhere, this śloka is purely narrative and does not name a river, forest, or pilgrimage-site.