Vamana Purana — Shiva's Wedding Procession (Part 2), Shloka 25

Shiva’s Wedding Procession to Kailasa and the Marriage of Girija (Kali)

Devanagari script

अन्यालक्तकरागाढ्यं पादं कृत्वाकुलेक्षणा अनलक्तकमेकं हि हरं द्रष्टुमुपागता

Transliteration

anyālaktakarāgāḍhyaṃ pādaṃ kṛtvākulekṣaṇā analaktakamekaṃ hi haraṃ draṣṭumupāgatā

Translation

മറ്റൊരു സ്ത്രീ, ആവേശത്തിൽ ചഞ്ചലമായ ദൃഷ്ടിയോടെ, ഒരു പാദം ലാക്ഷാരാഗം കട്ടിയായി പുരട്ടി, മറ്റേ പാദം സത്യമായും പുരട്ടാതെയാക്കി, ഹരനെ (ശിവനെ) ദർശിക്കാനെത്തി।

Word by Word

• अन्य-आलक्तक-राग-आढ्यम्: richly colored with red dye (ālaktaka)
• अन्य-आलक्तक-राग-आढ्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya + ālaktaka + rāga + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-समास: अन्येन आलक्तकेन रागेण आढ्यम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• पादम्: foot
• पादम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• आकुल-ईक्षणा: she whose glance was agitated
• आकुल-ईक्षणा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākula-īkṣaṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: आकुला इक्षणा यस्याः सा

• अन-आलक्तकम्: without red dye
• अन-आलक्तकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-ālaktaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/निषेध: आलक्तकं न (नञ्-तत्पुरुष)

• एकम्: one (foot)
• एकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पादम्’ (अध्याहार्य) इति विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (particle): खलु/नूनम्-अर्थे

• हरम्: Hara (Śiva)
• हरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्यय; प्रयोजनार्थक

• उपागता: came near / approached
• उपागता: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ā-gata (कृदन्त; √gam)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उप + आ + गम्’ = समीपं आगता

Speakers

• Not explicit in given verses (likely within Pulastya–Nārada narrative frame
• but unconfirmed from excerpt alone)

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Bhakti
• Darśana
• Single-minded devotion overriding decorum

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "hasya", "secondaryRasa": "shringara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The scene teaches that sincerity outranks perfectionism: devotion need not wait for full external readiness. The ‘unfinished’ foot adornment dramatizes how the pull of divine presence interrupts ordinary concerns.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Carita/ācāra-focused narration within an episode: it documents devotional behavior and social-religious life, not creation cycles or dynastic lists.

What is the symbolic significance?

One foot dyed and the other undyed symbolizes a liminal state—half in worldly preparation, half already moving toward transcendence. The ‘restless eyes’ (ākulekṣaṇā) is a bhakti-marker: intense longing (utkaṇṭhā) that propels the devotee toward immediate darśana of Śiva.