Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

ततः स विस्मितान् सर्वान् कन्दर्पादीन् महामुने दृष्ट्वा प्रोवाच वचनं स्मितं कृत्वा शुभव्रतः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vismitān sarvān kandarpādīn mahāmune dṛṣṭvā provāca vacanaṃ smitaṃ kṛtvā śubhavrataḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ, ഹേ മഹാമുനേ, കന്ദർപ്പാദികളായ എല്ലാവരും വിസ്മയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നതു കണ്ടു, ആ ശുഭവ്രതൻ ആദ്യം മന്ദഹാസം ചെയ്ത് വചനം പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Desha-kala (देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then/thereupon)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; he

• विस्मितान्: astonished
• विस्मितान्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying ‘सर्वान्/कन्दर्पादीन्’—astonished

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘all’ (as object of dṛṣṭvā)

• कन्दर्प-आदीन्: Kandarpa and the others
• कन्दर्प-आदीन्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘कन्दर्पः आदिः येषां ते’ (kandarpādi-); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘Kandarpa and others’

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘महान् मुनिः’; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative—O great sage

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/क्त्वा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having seen’

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्ष), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘spoke forth’

• वचनम्: words, speech
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of ‘प्रोवाच’

• स्मितम्: smiling, with a smile
• स्मितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adjective to ‘वचनम्’—smiling/gentle

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/क्त्वा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having done/made’ (here: having smiled / after making a smile)

• शुभ-व्रतः: one of auspicious vow (virtuous)
• शुभ-व्रतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: ‘शुभं व्रतं यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; epithet of the speaker

Speakers

• Narrator addressing 'mahāmune' (implied frame: Pulastya → Nārada
• though not explicit here)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Mādhava)
• Kandarpa (Kāma)

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Dharma (śubha-vrata)
• Divine pedagogy (gentle speech)
• Daiva psychology (wonder of gods)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Authority need not be harsh: the smile before speech suggests compassion and measured correction. Ethical instruction is most potent when delivered without anger, grounded in śubha-vrata (disciplined virtue).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Again, this is narrative-carita material (Vamśānucarita/ākhyāna). It supports dharma-teaching through exemplary conduct rather than cosmological description.

What is the symbolic significance?

Kandarpa represents desire’s coercive force; the gods’ astonishment signals that desire is not ultimate. The divine smile implies desire can be reoriented or pacified by higher consciousness rather than suppressed by violence.