Vamana Purana — Vishnu Slays Kalanemi, Shloka 34

Vishnu Enters the Deva–Asura War and Slays Kalanemi

Devanagari script

विनिर्जितान् सुरान् दृष्ट्वा वैनतेयध्वजो ऽरिहा शार्ङ्गमानम्य बाणैघैर्निजघान ततस्ततः

Transliteration

vinirjitān surān dṛṣṭvā vainateyadhvajo 'rihā śārṅgamānamya bāṇaighairnijaghāna tatastataḥ

Translation

പരാജിതരായ ദേവന്മാരെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, വൈനതേയധ്വജധാരിയായ ശത്രുഹന്താവ് ശാർങ്ഗധനുസ്സു കുനിച്ച് അമ്പുകളുടെ പ്രഹാരത്തോടെ അവരെ ഇവിടെ അവിടെ വീഴ്ത്തി।

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic sage) to Nārada (continuation of the address).

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Hari)
• Garuḍa (Vainateya, as emblem on the banner)

Key Themes

• Divine protection of the Devas
• Viṣṇu’s epithets and iconography (Garuḍa-banner, Śārṅga bow)
• Restoration of cosmic order through force

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘Vainateya-dhvaja’ convey beyond a poetic epithet?

It encodes iconography: Viṣṇu’s standard marked by Garuḍa signifies sovereign divine authority and swift, sky-borne power. In Purāṇic battle scenes, such epithets function like ‘visual metadata’ identifying the deity unmistakably.

Why is Śārṅga specifically named?

Śārṅga is Viṣṇu’s signature weapon in many Purāṇas. Naming it emphasizes that this is not a generic warrior but Hari acting in his established martial role, aligning the episode with broader Vaiṣṇava mythic tradition.

Does ‘tataḥ tataḥ’ imply multiple fronts or a dispersed enemy?

Yes. The phrase suggests repeated strikes across different points—either the Daityas are spread across the field or Viṣṇu’s assault is sweeping and comprehensive, reversing the Devas’ rout.