Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 50
Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti
अथोवाच दितीशस्तौ का शक्तिर्युवयोरिह मयि तिष्ठति दैत्येन्द्रे धर्मसेतुप्रवर्तके
athovāca ditīśastau kā śaktiryuvayoriha mayi tiṣṭhati daityendre dharmasetupravartake
បន្ទាប់មក ព្រះអម្ចាស់នៃវង្សដិតី បានមានព្រះវាចាទៅកាន់ទាំងពីរ៖ «អំណាចអ្វីមាននៅទីនេះសម្រាប់អ្នកទាំងពីរ ខណៈដែលខ្ញុំឈរនៅមុខអ្នក—ខ្ញុំ ជាព្រះអម្ចាស់ដៃត្យា អ្នកបង្កើតសេតុ (ស្ពាន/ទំនប់) នៃធម៌?»
{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The verse highlights a common purāṇic critique: power can co-opt the language of dharma. The Daitya claims to be a “dharmasetu-pravartaka,” illustrating how authority may self-legitimate even when opposed to divine order.
Vamśānucarita / narrative episode: a dialogic confrontation embedded in legendary accounts, serving to set up the avatāra’s demonstration of supremacy.
“Dharma-setu” symbolizes boundaries that restrain chaos; the Daitya’s appropriation of this title signals inverted order—an asuric tendency to claim guardianship of dharma while challenging its true source.