Vamana Purana — Vishnu Slays Kalanemi, Shloka 8

Vishnu Enters the Deva–Asura War and Slays Kalanemi

Devanagari script

तथा तव पितृव्यो ऽपि जम्भः शक्रेण घातितः कुजम्भो विष्णुना चापि प्रत्यक्षं पशुवत् तव

Transliteration

tathā tava pitṛvyo 'pi jambhaḥ śakreṇa ghātitaḥ kujambho viṣṇunā cāpi pratyakṣaṃ paśuvat tava

Translation

അതുപോലെ നിന്റെ പിതൃവ്യനായ ജംഭനും ശക്രനാൽ വധിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; കുജംഭനെയും വിഷ്ണു നിന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ തന്നെ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി, മൃഗത്തെപ്പോലെ, വധിച്ചു.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the Andhaka-cycle; addressing a second-person ‘tava’ figure (likely a daitya-relative or leader being admonished/reminded)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Indra

Key Themes

• Genealogical reminder (pitṛvya)
• Deva victories over daityas
• Public humiliation of adharma
• Didactic warning through precedent

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the rhetorical function of listing Jambha and Kujambha’s deaths?

It serves as precedent and warning: the addressee is reminded that even close kin (pitṛvya) among the daityas have been decisively defeated by the devas and Viṣṇu, implying the futility of resistance.

How should “paśuvat” be understood—literal or figurative?

It is figurative, stressing degradation and powerlessness: the slain is treated as a mere animal, not as a heroic equal, highlighting the asymmetry between divine power and daitya pride.

Does the verse help locate the narrative geographically?

No. It is genealogical and polemical rather than topographical; no rivers, tīrthas, or regions are named in this line.