Vamana Purana — Akhanda Ekadashi Vrata, Shloka 61

Akhaṇḍa-Ekādaśī Vrata and the Vaiṣṇava Protective Hymn; Prelude to the Kātyāyanī–Mahiṣāsura Narrative

Devanagari script

एतामृतुमतीं जातां महिषो ऽन्यो ददर्श ह सा चाभ्यगाद् दितिवरं रक्षन्ती शीलमात्मनः

Transliteration

etāmṛtumatīṃ jātāṃ mahiṣo 'nyo dadarśa ha sā cābhyagād ditivaraṃ rakṣantī śīlamātmanaḥ

Translation

ಅವಳು ಋತುವತಿಯಾದಾಗ (ಋತುಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ) ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಮಹಿಷನು ಅವಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡನು; ಅವಳು ತನ್ನ ಶೀಲವನ್ನು ಕಾಪಾಡುತ್ತಾ ದಿತಿಯ ಪುತ್ರರಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನಾದ ಆ ದೈತ್ಯವರನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಹೋದಳು।

Word by Word

• एताम्: this (her)
• एताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• ऋतुमतीम्: in her season
• ऋतुमतीम्: विशेषण (to Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतुमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण एताम् प्रति; अर्थः ‘in season/menstruating’

• जाताम्: having become/born
• जाताम्: विशेषण (to Karma)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; एताम् प्रति विशेषण; अर्थः ‘born/come to be’

• महिषः: the buffalo (demon)
• महिषः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: विशेषण (to Karta)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण महिषः प्रति (another)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/it is said
• ह: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निपात (particle), कथन-प्रत्यय/अनुस्मारक

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

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

• अभ्यगात्: approached/went to
• अभ्यगात्: क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: अभि

• दितिवरम्: the best of the Diti-born (a Daitya)
• दितिवरम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: दितेः वरः (best of Diti’s race/Daitya); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• रक्षन्ती: protecting
• रक्षन्ती: कर्ता-विशेषण (agentive qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; सा इति कर्तरि विशेषण

• शीलम्: conduct/virtue
• शीलम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• आत्मनः: of herself
• आत्मनः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narratorial layer not explicit in the excerpt (often framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa
• but not confirmable from these verses alone).

Key Themes

• Daitya–nonhuman conflict
• Protection of chastity (śīla)
• Violence and karmic consequence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse foregrounds śīla (personal virtue/chastity) as something actively guarded; it implies moral agency even under threat, and sets up the narrative consequence for those who violate dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / carita (narrative of beings and events), rather than cosmogenesis; it is an episode-like account illustrating dharmic norms through story.

What is the symbolic significance?

ṛtumatī can symbolize vulnerability (a liminal bodily/social state). The insistence on guarding śīla frames virtue as a protective power that later draws supernatural refuge (Yakṣa protection).