Vamana Purana — Gift of Sudarshana, Shloka 24

The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

वरायुधो ऽयं देवेश सर्वायुधनिबर्हणः सुदर्शनो द्वादशारः षण्णाभिर्द्वियुगो जवी

Transliteration

varāyudho 'yaṃ deveśa sarvāyudhanibarhaṇaḥ sudarśano dvādaśāraḥ ṣaṇṇābhirdviyugo javī

Translation

{"scene_description": "A sacred mountain with three broad ridges, mineral-streaked peaks in many colors, and streams cascading in all directions, presented as a tīrtha landscape.", "primary_figures": ["personified mountain (as sacred presence)", "flowing river-sprites (optional)"], "setting": "Panoramic Himalayan-like massif with multicolored strata and radiating waterfalls around terraced ridgelines.", "color_palette": ["ochre", "malachite green", "lapis blue", "iron-red", "pearl white", "mist gray", "turquoise"], "tanjore_prompt": "South Indian Tanjore-style devotional landscape panel: sacred parvata-tirtha with three expansive ridges, multicolored mineral streaks, radiating waterfalls; ornate gold-leaf borders, stylized clouds, subtle divine aura over the mountain; high saturation, symmetrical composition.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature: soft pastel mountain with three ridges, delicate multicolored rock bands, thin white streams flowing on all sides; fine linework, atmospheric mist, small pilgrims at a distance for scale, lyrical serenity.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat natural pigments; sacred mountain with patterned mineral bands and stylized cascading waters; temple-like framing motifs, rhythmic repetition of ridges and streams.", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll segment: narrative landscape of a tīrtha mountain; decorative borders, patterned rock textures in multiple dyes, stylized water streams radiating outward; folk geometry and clear contouring."}

Speakers

• Likely a ṛṣi/narrator addressing Viṣṇu (Deveśa) in praise; exact interlocutors not explicit in the given excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Stuti (praise of Viṣṇu’s discus)
• Cosmic order encoded in divine weaponry
• Protection of dharma through divine power

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are ‘twelve spokes’ and ‘six hubs’ highlighted in Sudarśana’s description?

Purāṇic stutis often read the discus as a cosmogram: twelve spokes commonly signify the twelve months (or twelve Ādityas), while six hubs suggest the six seasons (ṛtus). The weapon thus symbolizes time (kāla) and order (ṛta) under Viṣṇu’s sovereignty.

What does ‘destroyer of all weapons’ imply theologically?

It asserts Sudarśana’s supremacy: not merely a physical weapon, but the principle of divine, dharma-protecting power that overrides all hostile forces and their instruments.

How should ‘yoked in pairs’ (dvi-yuga) be understood here?

It can indicate paired structuring within time—such as the two pakṣas (bright/dark fortnights) or the pairing of months into seasons—reinforcing the idea that Sudarśana embodies regulated cyclical time.