Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 16

The Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata: Worship of Vishnu’s Body as the Constellations

Devanagari script

ततः स हृतसर्वस्वो वणिग् गुःखसमन्वितः असहायो मरौ तस्मिंश् चचारोन्मत्तवद् वशी

Transliteration

tataḥ sa hṛtasarvasvo vaṇig guḥkhasamanvitaḥ asahāyo marau tasmiṃś cacāronmattavad vaśī

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ വണിക് തന്റെ സകല സമ്പത്തും നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടതിനാൽ ദുഃഖത്തിൽ മുങ്ങി. സഹായമില്ലാതെ, ആ മരുഭൂമിയിൽ അവൻ അശക്തനായി ഉന്മത്തരുപോലെ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിഞ്ഞു.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the Saromāhātmya section (speaker-to-listener not specified in the provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Loss of wealth and social support
• Human helplessness as prelude to sacred refuge
• Psychological collapse (unmattavat) in liminal geography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the narrative function of ‘hṛtasarvasva’ (robbed of everything)?

Total loss removes worldly recourse and makes the forthcoming turn to a sacred place (tīrtha) or deity not optional but existential—demonstrating the Purāṇic theme that dharma and divine refuge remain when material supports collapse.

Why describe him as ‘unmattavat’ (like a madman)?

It conveys trauma and disorientation in a hostile landscape; such language intensifies the contrast when order, protection, or insight is later restored through sacred encounter.

Does ‘vaśī’ here mean ‘self-controlled’ or ‘helpless’?

In this context it is best read as ‘powerless/at the mercy (of circumstances),’ contrasting with the usual sense of mastery. The merchant is not a yogic vaśī but a person overwhelmed by fate and fear.