Vamana Purana — Harihara Revelation, Shloka 60

Harihara Revelation and the Kurukshetra Tirtha Cycle: Sthanu in Vishnu and the Sanctification of Saptasarasvata

Devanagari script

तेकारमस्त्रग्रामं च तुलाराशिः कृताश्रयः मासश्च कार्तिको नाम सप्तमं पत्रकं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

tekāramastragrāmaṃ ca tulārāśiḥ kṛtāśrayaḥ māsaśca kārtiko nāma saptamaṃ patrakaṃ smṛtam

Translation

‘ത’ അക്ഷരം ആയുധസമൂഹമെന്നു പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു; അവിടെ തുലാ-രാശി അതിന്റെ ആശ്രയമായി സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്. മാസം കാർത്തികം; ഇത് ഏഴാം പത്രകമെന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तेकारम्: the letter ‘te/ta’
• तेकारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ते/त’ इति वर्णः (letter-name)

• अस्त्र-ग्रामम्: collection of weapons
• अस्त्र-ग्रामम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अस्त्राणां ग्रामः = collection of weapons)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• तुला-राशिः: Libra sign
• तुला-राशिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तुला एव राशि:)

• कृत-आश्रयः: having taken refuge/abode
• कृत-आश्रयः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कृतः आश्रयः येन/यत्र सः) = ‘having taken abode/settled’

• मासः: month
• मासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• कार्तिकः: Kārtika
• कार्तिकः: Viśeṣya-nāma (विशेष्य-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मास-नाम

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक

• सप्तमम्: seventh
• सप्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक

• पत्रकम्: petal/leaflet
• पत्रकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is remembered (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे—‘is remembered’

Speakers

• Narratorial/teacher voice continuing an enumerative cosmological teaching (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt).

Primary Deities

• None explicitly named in this verse

Key Themes

• Zodiac–month correspondence
• Syllabic (varṇa) symbolism
• Ritual-cosmological taxonomy
• Temporal sacrality of Kārtika

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘astra-grāma’ (cluster of weapons) signify in a zodiac–month list?

In Purāṇic cosmological catalogues, abstract qualities are often assigned to signs/months through symbolic ‘supports’ (āśraya). ‘Astra-grāma’ functions as a mnemonic attribute—associating a sign (here Tulā) with a martial or protective potency—rather than describing a literal event.

Why is Kārtika highlighted here?

Kārtika is widely treated as a ritually potent month across Purāṇic literature (lamp-offerings, tīrtha-bathing, vows). In this chapter’s scheme it is fixed as the month corresponding to the enumerated segment (the 7th patraka) alongside Tulā.

What is meant by ‘patraka’ in this context?

While patraka literally means ‘leaf’, in enumerative passages it commonly denotes a counted unit/segment in a structured list—here indicating the seventh position in the sequence being taught.