Vamana Purana — Sukeshi's Inquiry into Dharma, Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

चचः क्रुद्धूः शतमखः कुलिशं भ्राम्य पाणिना चिक्षेप दैत्यराजाय तं ददर्श तथान्धकः

Transliteration

cacaḥ kruddhūḥ śatamakhaḥ kuliśaṃ bhrāmya pāṇinā cikṣepa daityarājāya taṃ dadarśa tathāndhakaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ക്രുദ്ധനായ ശതമുഖൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) കൈയിൽ വജ്രം ചുഴറ്റി ദൈത്യരാജനിലേക്കെറിഞ്ഞു; അത് വരുന്നതു അന്ധകൻ കണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• क्रुद्धः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘angered’

• शतमखः: Śatamakha (performer of a hundred sacrifices)
• शतमखः: कर्ता (Karta; apposition to शक्रः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतमख (प्रातिपदिक: शत + मख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य उपाधि (epithet of Indra)

• कुलिशम्: thunderbolt (vajra)
• कुलिशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भ्राम्य: having whirled
• भ्राम्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having whirled/brandished’

• पाणिना: with (his) hand
• पाणिना: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• चिक्षेप: threw
• चिक्षेप: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दैत्यराजाय: to the king of demons
• दैत्यराजाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्यराज (प्रातिपदिक: दैत्य + राज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• तम्: that (vajra)/him
• तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘thus/so’

• अन्धकः: Andhaka
• अन्धकः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narratorial (frame dialogue not explicit in these verses; commonly Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa)

Primary Deities

• Indra (Śatamakha)
• Andhaka

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Indra’s vajra (divine weaponry)
• Protection of cosmic order

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Divine authority responds decisively when governance is threatened; the vajra represents punitive power meant to restore order, ideally exercised from duty rather than rage.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Carita/Vamśānucarita narrative: a battle-episode within the ongoing accounts of divine and anti-divine lineages and their conflicts.

What is the symbolic significance?

The vajra (kuliśa) signifies indra-śakti: the concentrated force of dharmic sovereignty. Andhaka ‘seeing’ it emphasizes the moment of moral reckoning before consequence.