Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 41

Chanda and Munda Discover Katyayani; Mahishasura’s Proposal and the Vishnu-Panjara Protection

Devanagari script

यदा न देव्या कवचं कृतं शस्त्रनिबर्हणम् तदा रक्षार्थमस्यास्तु विष्णुपञ्जरमुक्तवान्

Transliteration

yadā na devyā kavacaṃ kṛtaṃ śastranibarhaṇam tadā rakṣārthamasyāstu viṣṇupañjaramuktavān

Translation

ദേവിയുടെ ആയുധനിവാരണ കവചം ഒരുക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നില്ലെങ്കിൽ, സംരക്ഷണാർത്ഥം ‘വിഷ്ണു-പഞ്ജരം’ പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• devyā: by the goddess
• devyā: Karaṇa (करण/instrument/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd) एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे 'by the goddess'

• kavacam: armor; protective charm
• kavacam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; here as object of 'kṛtam' (made)

• kṛtam: made
• kṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'made/done'

• śastra-nibarhaṇam: weapon-destroying
• śastra-nibarhaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + nibarhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (instrumental/तृतीया sense: 'by weapons' or object-sense 'weapons-destroying'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; kavacam इति विशेषणम्

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• rakṣā-artham: for protection
• rakṣā-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (purpose: 'for protection'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative of purpose)

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/beneficiary-possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Gen./6th), एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• viṣṇu-pañjaram: Viṣṇu’s protective enclosure (pañjara)
• viṣṇu-pañjaram: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + pañjara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (genitive: 'Viṣṇu's cage/armor'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Acc./2nd), एकवचन

• uktavān: (he) declared/uttered
• uktavān: Karta (कर्ता/agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवतु/क्तवत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः; 'having said/declared'

Speakers

• Narratorial voice indicates ‘he declared’ (uktavān); specific speaker not named in the provided excerpt

Primary Deities

• Mahādevī (Devi)
• Viṣṇu

Key Themes

• Sectarian Harmony (Śākta–Vaiṣṇava complementarity)
• Protection/Apotropaic Mantras
• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Mantric theology

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The tradition offers layered refuges: when one mode of protection is unavailable, another dharmic safeguard is invoked. Practically, it models resilience—do not collapse when a preferred support is absent; turn to another sanctioned refuge.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is didactic narrative (carita) with embedded ritual/mantric instruction, a common Purāṇic technique: story legitimizes and transmits protective rites without being a primary pancalakṣaṇa category like sarga.

What is the symbolic significance?

The shift from Devi-kavaca to Viṣṇu-pañjara signals non-sectarian integration: Śakti and Viṣṇu are complementary channels of the same protective cosmic order. ‘Pañjara’ (enclosure) symbolizes a sacred boundary that adharma cannot penetrate.