Vamana Purana — Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas, Shloka 3

Sukesha’s Boon, the Twelve Dharmas of Beings, and the Cosmography of the Seven Dvipas with the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच/ शृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा कथामेतां पुरातनीम् यथोक्तवान् स्वयंभूर्मां कथ्यमानां मयानघ

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca/ śṛṇuṣvāvahito bhūtvā kathāmetāṃ purātanīm yathoktavān svayaṃbhūrmāṃ kathyamānāṃ mayānagha

Translation

ປຸລັດສະຕະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ບໍ່ມີບາບ, ຈົ່ງຟັງດ້ວຍຄວາມຕັ້ງໃຈ ເລື່ອງເກົ່າແກ່ນີ້. ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະເລົ່າຕາມທີ່ ສະວະຍັມພູ (ພຣະພຣະຫມາ) ເຄີຍເລົ່າໃຫ້ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຟັງ.»

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अवहितः: attentive
• अवहितः: Visheshana (विशेषण of implied ‘त्वम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-कृदन्त from अव-धा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘attentive’

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाल (having become)

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुरातनीम्: ancient
• पुरातनीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकार (as/just as)

• उक्तवान्: said/declared
• उक्तवान्: Kriya (क्रिया; with subject svayaṃbhūḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्तवतुँ (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवतुँ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle/agentive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having said/said’

• स्वयंभूः: Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभूः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ब्रह्मा (proper epithet)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• कथ्यमानाम्: being narrated
• कथ्यमानाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of कथाम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + य (passive) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि (passive) शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘being told’ (agreeing with कथाम्)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ/करण (agent in passive)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; विशेषणरूप संबोधन

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Brahmā (Svayambhū)

Key Themes

• Paramparā (lineage of transmission)
• Authority of narration (Brahmā → Pulastya → Nārada)
• Itihāsa/ākhyāna framing

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse models śravaṇa with āvahita (focused attention) and grounds teaching in paramparā. Ethically, it highlights humility before received wisdom and the responsibility of accurate transmission.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is a narrative gateway into sarga-related or vamśānucarita-related material, authenticated by Brahmā (Svayambhū). While not itself one of the five topics, it signals that the forthcoming account is anchored in the Purāṇic cosmological-historical register.

What is the symbolic significance?

Invoking Svayambhū (Brahmā) sacralizes the forthcoming episode: the ‘ancient story’ is not mere folklore but part of cosmic memory. The epithet anagha frames the listener as fit (adhikārin) for receiving subtle causality behind divine events.