HomeVamana PuranaAdh. 1Shloka 21
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Vamana Purana — Narada Questions Pulastya, Shloka 21

Narada Questions Pulastya: The Vamana Purana Begins and Satī’s Monsoon Lament

उद्वत्त्वेगाः सहसैव निम्नगा जाताः शशङ्काङ्कितचारुमैले किमत्र चित्रं यदनुज्ज्वलं जनं निषेव्य योषिद् भवति त्वशीला

udvattvegāḥ sahasaiva nimnagā jātāḥ śaśaṅkāṅkitacārumaile kimatra citraṃ yadanujjvalaṃ janaṃ niṣevya yoṣid bhavati tvaśīlā

अचानक वेगाने फुगलेल्या नद्या आपल्या रम्य श्यामल जलावर चंद्रकिरणांच्या चिन्हांनी शोभून मनोहर झाल्या आहेत. यात काय आश्चर्य, की निस्तेज पुरुषाचा संग केल्याने स्त्री दुश्शीला होते?

udvat-vegaḥhaving a rushing/raised speed
udvat-vegaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootudvat + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (masc), Prathamā (nom, 1st), Bahuvacana (pl); विशेषण (adjective)
sahasāsuddenly
sahasā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsahasā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
FormKriyāviśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverb)
evaindeed/just
eva:
Sambandha/Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormNipāta (particle), avadhāraṇa (emphasis)
nimnagāḥrivers
nimnagāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootnimnagā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (fem), Prathamā (nom, 1st), Bahuvacana (pl)
jātāḥhave become/arisen
jātāḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjan (धातु) + tā (क्त/कृदन्त)
FormKta-participle (क्त), Puṃliṅga (masc), Prathamā (nom), Bahuvacana; karmani/भावे प्रयोग-सामर्थ्य; here predicative with nimnagāḥ
śaśaṅka-aṅkita-cāru-maileO one with lovely moon-marked stains/marks
śaśaṅka-aṅkita-cāru-maile:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeAdjective
Rootśaśaṅka + aṅkita + cāru + maila (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (fem), Sambodhana/Prathamā-ekavacana (voc/nom sg) used as संबोधन to a woman; बहुव्रीहि: ‘whose lovely dirt/mark is moon-marked’ (i.e., having beautiful moon-like marks)
kimwhat
kim:
Prashna (प्रश्न)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā (nom/acc), Ekavacana; interrogative pronoun used idiomatically
atrahere/in this matter
atra:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatra (अव्यय)
FormDeśavācaka-avyaya (locative adverb)
citramwonder/strange thing
citram:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootcitra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), Prathamā (nom), Ekavacana
yatthat which
yat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootyat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun correlating with tat implied
anujjvalamnot bright/dull
anujjvalam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootan-ujjvala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), Dvitīyā (acc, 2nd), Ekavacana; विशेषण of janam
janama person/people
janam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootjana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (masc), Dvitīyā (acc, 2nd), Ekavacana
niṣevyahaving associated with/served
niṣevya:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootni-√sev (धातु) + ya (ल्यप्/कृदन्त)
FormAbsolutive (gerund) in -ya (ल्यप्), pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
yoṣita woman
yoṣit:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (fem), Prathamā (nom), Ekavacana
bhavatibecomes
bhavati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (धातु)
FormLaṭ-lakāra (present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (sg)
tubut/indeed
tu:
Sambandha/Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormNipāta (particle), virodha/avadhāraṇa nuance
aśīlāill-mannered/without good conduct
aśīlā:
Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधानविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roota-śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (fem), Prathamā (nom), Ekavacana; predicative adjective qualifying yoṣit
Narrative voice (didactic aside); frame not explicit in excerpt
Ethics of association (saṅga-doṣa)Didactic moralizationNature imagery (rivers, moonlight)Character formation

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

FAQs

Conduct is shaped by company: association with the ‘unillustrious’ (anujjvala) is presented as a predictable cause of moral decline. The verse reinforces the dharma-śāstric emphasis on sat-saṅga (keeping noble company).

This is a nīti (ethical) interpolation within narration, not a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit. It functions as Purāṇic upadeśa (instruction) accompanying descriptive passages.

The swollen river suggests how external conditions can rapidly alter a thing’s ‘behavior’ (flow/force). The moral analogy argues that human character likewise shifts under environmental influence—especially social proximity (saṅga).