Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

तस्मिञ्शासति दैत्येन्द्रे देवब्राह्मणपूजके मखानि भुवि राजानो यजन्ते विधिवत्तदा

Transliteration

tasmiñśāsati daityendre devabrāhmaṇapūjake makhāni bhuvi rājāno yajante vidhivattadā

Translation

ദേവന്മാരെയും ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരെയും പൂജിക്കുന്ന ആ ദൈത്യേന്ദ്രൻ ഭരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഭൂമിയിലെ രാജാക്കന്മാർ വിധിപൂർവ്വം മഖയജ്ഞങ്ങൾ നടത്തി।

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: when/while he (was)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शासति: (he) rules, governs
• शासति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी construction with तस्मिन्

• दैत्येन्द्रे: in the lord of demons
• दैत्येन्द्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्येन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; apposition to तस्मिन्

• देवब्राह्मणपूजके: who worships gods and Brahmins
• देवब्राह्मणपूजके: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवब्राह्मणपूजक (प्रातिपदिक; देव + ब्राह्मण + पूजक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण of दैत्येन्द्रे

• मखानि: sacrifices
• मखानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन (plural)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक; भुव्/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• यजन्ते: perform sacrifice
• यजन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• विधिवत्: according to rule, duly
• विधिवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speakers

• Narrative frame not explicit in input; narrator describes effects of Prahlāda’s governance

Primary Deities

• Devas (collective)

Key Themes

• Rājadharma
• Vedic ritual (yajña/makha)
• Brāhmaṇa honor
• Dharma restoration

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Good governance is measured by protection of sacred institutions: honoring brāhmaṇas and devas enables public religiosity—yajña becomes socially viable when the ruler supports dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita with dharma-valuation: dynastic narration is used to illustrate the qualities of a reign and its cosmic-social effects.

What is the symbolic significance?

Prahlāda as ‘devabrāhmaṇapūjaka’ inverts the stereotype of Daityas as anti-yajña, emphasizing that devotion and ritual order are not confined to birth but to conduct (ācāra).