Vamana Purana — Vishnu Slays Kalanemi, Shloka 33

Vishnu Enters the Deva–Asura War and Slays Kalanemi

Devanagari script

ततो ऽमृतरसास्वादाद् विना भूताः सुरत्तमाः निर्जिताः समरे दैत्यैः समं स्कन्देन नारद

Transliteration

tato 'mṛtarasāsvādād vinā bhūtāḥ surattamāḥ nirjitāḥ samare daityaiḥ samaṃ skandena nārada

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അമൃതരസാസ്വാദത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വഞ്ചിതരായി, ഹേ നാരദ, സ്കന്ദനോടുകൂടിയ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദേവന്മാർ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ദൈത്യന്മാർക്കാൽ പരാജിതരായി।

Speakers

• Likely Pulastya (or a Purāṇic narrator) addressing Nārada (as indicated by the vocative ‘nārada’).

Primary Deities

• Skanda
• Devas (collective)

Key Themes

• Deva–Asura conflict
• Loss of amṛta as a cause of weakness
• Skanda’s participation in divine warfare

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does ‘being without the taste of amṛta’ matter in a battle narrative?

In Purāṇic idiom, amṛta is not merely a drink but a symbol of divine vitality and invincibility. ‘Amṛtarasāsvāda-vinā’ frames the gods’ defeat as arising from a loss of sustaining power (ojas/tejas), making them vulnerable to Daitya aggression.

What is the significance of mentioning Skanda alongside the defeated gods?

Skanda is the senāpati (war-commander) of the Devas. Including him underscores the severity of the defeat: even with their general present, the Devas are overcome, necessitating Viṣṇu’s decisive intervention.

Does this verse indicate a specific tīrtha or geographic setting?

No. This śloka is purely narrative and does not anchor the battle to a named sacred geography; the Vāmana Purāṇa often alternates between geography/tīrtha material and mythic episodes like this.