Vamana Purana — Sukeshi's Inquiry into Dharma, Shloka 25

Sukeshi’s Inquiry into Dharma: The Seven Dvipas and the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

वरुणः शिशुमारस्थो बद्ध्वा पाशैर्महासुरान् गदया दारयामास तमभ्यागाद् विरोचनः

Transliteration

varuṇaḥ śiśumārastho baddhvā pāśairmahāsurān gadayā dārayāmāsa tamabhyāgād virocanaḥ

Translation

ശിശുമാരത്തിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതനായ വരുണൻ പാശങ്ങളാൽ മഹാസുരന്മാരെ ബന്ധിച്ച് ഗദയാൽ കീറിത്തുറന്നു; അപ്പോൾ വിരോചനൻ അവനെതിരെ മുന്നേറി।

Word by Word

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• शिशुमारस्थः: standing on/at the Śiśumāra (constellation)
• शिशुमारस्थः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिशुमार + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (शिशुमारे स्थितः)

• बद्ध्वा: having bound
• बद्ध्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बद्ध्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त, √बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• पाशैः: with nooses
• पाशैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• महासुरान्: great asuras
• महासुरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान्तः असुराः)

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दारयामास: tore / split
• दारयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दॄ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (दारय-)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभ्यगात्: approached / came near
• अभ्यगात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; उपसर्गः—अभि

• विरोचनः: Virocana
• विरोचनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative layer not explicitly provided in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada framing)

Primary Deities

• Varuṇa
• Virocana

Key Themes

• Daitya–Deva Conflict
• Divine weaponry (pāśa, gadā)
• Waters-aspect deity in battle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The pāśa (noose) motif emphasizes restraint before destruction: cosmic governance ideally binds and regulates wrongdoing prior to punitive force—an ethical sequencing of niyama (control) then daṇḍa (chastisement).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / manvantara-episode style narration: a conflict episode involving prominent Devas and Asura lineages that supports the purāṇic historical-mythic continuum.

What is the symbolic significance?

Varuṇa, as lord of ṛta in the watery domain, represents binding law (pāśa) and moral surveillance; Virocana’s direct advance signals asuric resistance to cosmic regulation—foreshadowing the later need for subtler dharma-restoration via Vāmana’s ‘measure’ rather than mere force.