Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 63

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मस्त्रे तु प्रशमिते प्रह्लादः क्रोधमूर्छितः गदां प्रगृह्य तरसा प्रचस्कन्द रथोत्तमात्

Transliteration

brahmastre tu praśamite prahlādaḥ krodhamūrchitaḥ gadāṃ pragṛhya tarasā pracaskanda rathottamāt

Translation

ເມື່ອພຣະພຣະຫມາອາສະຕຣະ ຖືກສະງົບລົງແລ້ວ ພຣະຫລາດະ ຖືກຄວາມໂກດຄອບງຳ ຈຶ່ງຈັບຄອນກະບອງ (ຄະດາ) ແລະໂດດລົງຈາກລົດຮົບອັນຍອດຢ່າງແຮງກ້າ.

Word by Word

• brahma-astre: when/while the Brahmā-weapon
• brahma-astre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी) singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: brahmaṇaḥ astre ‘in Brahmā’s weapon’

• tu: indeed/then
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)

• praśamite: having been pacified/quelled
• praśamite: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√śam (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त, PPP) used in locative absolute; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) Locative (सप्तमी) singular (एकवचन) agreeing with brahmāstre

• prahlādaḥ: Prahlāda
• prahlādaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन)

• krodha-mūrchitaḥ: overcome by anger
• krodha-mūrchitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrchita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: krodhena mūrchitaḥ ‘faint/overcome with anger’

• gadām: a mace
• gadām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• pragṛhya: having seized
• pragṛhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√grah (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), gerund (अव्ययभाव)

• tarasā: with force; swiftly
• tarasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) singular (एकवचन) used adverbially

• pracaskanda: leapt down/sprang
• pracaskanda: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√skand (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) singular (एकवचन)

• ratha-uttamāt: from the best chariot
• ratha-uttamāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी) singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: uttamaḥ rathaḥ ‘excellent chariot’ (karmadhāraya sense), ablative ‘from’

Speakers

• Narratorial layer (likely within Pulastya–Nārada frame
• but not explicit here)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Krodha (anger) as a spiritual obstacle
• Heroic combat
• Moral psychology in epic battle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even a revered devotee-figure like Prahlāda can be portrayed as momentarily seized by krodha; the Purāṇic lesson is that anger clouds discernment and escalates conflict from regulated missile-war to blunt-force confrontation.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita/Carita (deeds of notable beings). The verse also functions as upadeśa by illustrating an inner vice (krodha) surfacing in outer action.

What is the symbolic significance?

The pacification of Brahmāstra marks the exhaustion of ‘cosmic’ instruments; Prahlāda’s descent with a gadā symbolizes the descent from subtle, mantra-governed power to embodied, passion-driven struggle—an allegory for how unresolved ego/anger persists after external threats are neutralized.