Vamana Purana — Rudra's Wrath & Kalarupa, Shloka 19

Rudra’s Wrath at Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Iconography of Kālarūpa through the Zodiac

Devanagari script

भगो/भिवीभ्य पूषाणं पतितं रुधिरोक्षितम् नेत्राभ्यां घोररूपाभ्यां वृषध्वजमवैक्षत

Transliteration

bhago/bhivībhya pūṣāṇaṃ patitaṃ rudhirokṣitam netrābhyāṃ ghorarūpābhyāṃ vṛṣadhvajamavaikṣata

Translation

ഭീതനായ ഭഗൻ രക്തത്തിൽ നനഞ്ഞ് വീണുകിടക്കുന്ന പൂഷനെ കണ്ടു; പിന്നെ ഭീകരദൃഷ്ടിയോടെ വൃഷധ്വജൻ (ശിവൻ) മേൽ കണ്ണുറപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• भगः: Bhaga (a deity)
• भगः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभिवीभ्य: having become afraid / fearing
• अभिवीभ्य: पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: abhi-vi-bhī (भी धातु (धातु) + अभि/वि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• पूषाणम्: Pūṣan
• पूषाणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūṣan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patita (कृदन्त; पत् धातु (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• रुधिर-उक्षितम्: sprinkled with blood
• रुधिर-उक्षितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudhira (प्रातिपदिक) + ukṣita (कृदन्त; उक्ष् धातु (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (रुधिरेण उक्षितम्)

• नेत्राभ्याम्: with (his) two eyes
• नेत्राभ्याम्: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन

• घोर-रूपाभ्याम्: of dreadful form
• घोर-रूपाभ्याम्: करण-विशेषण (instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय (घोरं रूपं ययोः) — नेत्रयोः विशेषणम्

• वृष-ध्वजम्: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, whose banner is the bull)
• वृष-ध्वजम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषस्य ध्वजः) — शिव-पर्यायः

• अवैक्षत: looked at / beheld
• अवैक्षत: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु (धातु) + अव-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Not explicit in the given excerpt; typically framed within Pulastya–Nārada narration in the Vāmana Purāṇa

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja)
• Bhaga
• Pūṣan

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Divine wrath and awe
• Ritual hierarchy (deities of yajña humbled)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes the overwhelming majesty of the divine when manifest as righteous fury: even gods tied to prosperity (Bhaga) and ritual order (Pūṣan) are not autonomous; reverence and humility before the supreme power are mandatory.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It aligns with Vaṃśānucarita/Carita-style narrative (accounts of deeds in cosmic history) rather than sarga/pratisarga; it is an episode describing divine action in the Deva–Asura continuum.

What is the symbolic significance?

Pūṣan’s bloodied fall symbolizes the limitation of mere ritual functionaries when confronted with transcendent sovereignty; Bhaga’s fear suggests that ‘bhaga’ (share/fortune) is contingent upon dharma and the supreme will, not guaranteed by status.