Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 5

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

नरनारायणाभ्यां च जगदेतच्चराचरम् तापितं तपसा ब्रह्मन् शक्रः क्षोभं तदा ययौ

Transliteration

naranārāyaṇābhyāṃ ca jagadetaccarācaram tāpitaṃ tapasā brahman śakraḥ kṣobhaṃ tadā yayau

Translation

हे ब्राह्मण! नर-नारायणांच्या तपाने हे सर्व चराचर जग तापून (कंपित होऊन) उठले; तेव्हा शक्र (इंद्र) व्याकुळ होऊन भयग्रस्त झाला.

Word by Word

• नरनारायणाभ्याम्: by Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणाभ्याम्: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जगत्)

• चराचरम्: moving and unmoving
• चराचरम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (moving and unmoving) used adjectivally for जगत्

• तापितम्: was heated/afflicted
• तापितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

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

• क्षोभम्: agitation, disturbance
• क्षोभम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ययौ: went/attained
• ययौ: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speakers

• Dialogue framework not specified in the provided excerpt (often Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa
• but not inferable here).

Primary Deities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Tapas (ascetic power)
• Deva anxiety over tapas
• Testing of sages
• Vaishnavism

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Tapas is portrayed as a real cosmic force: disciplined restraint and spiritual effort can shake even the gods. Ethically, it cautions that power rooted in self-mastery is superior to power rooted in office (like Indra’s kingship), and that fear-driven responses to virtue often lead to further moral compromise.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is best classified under Vamśānucarita/Carita-type narrative material (accounts of sages and divine figures) rather than sarga/pratisarga. It functions as a recurrent purāṇic motif: Indra’s insecurity when confronted with extraordinary tapas.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Heating the world’ symbolizes the transformative intensity of inner discipline: tapas ‘cooks’ impurities and destabilizes complacent cosmic order. Indra’s agitation symbolizes the ego’s fear when confronted by genuine spiritual authority.