Vamana Purana — Vishnu Slays Kalanemi, Shloka 19

Vishnu Enters the Deva–Asura War and Slays Kalanemi

Devanagari script

राजर्षयस्तथा सिद्धा नानाभूताश् च संहताः गजानन्ये रथानन्ये हयानन्ये समारुहन्

Transliteration

rājarṣayastathā siddhā nānābhūtāś ca saṃhatāḥ gajānanye rathānanye hayānanye samāruhan

Translation

राजर्षी तसेच सिद्ध आणि नानाविध अन्य प्राणी एकत्र झाले; काही हत्तीवर, काही रथावर, तर काही घोड्यावर आरूढ झाले।

Speakers

• Narrator to the listener (continuation of the chapter’s descriptive narration)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (narrative frame)
• Indra (implied as leader of deva-side mobilization)

Key Themes

• Dharma-aligned kingship (rājarṣi ideal)
• Yogic perfection (siddha presence)
• Militarized cosmology (celestial warfare imagery)
• Collective action against adharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does the inclusion of rājarṣis suggest about the nature of the conflict?

It frames the confrontation as a dharmic crisis affecting both political and spiritual orders. Rājarṣis embody the ideal fusion of sovereignty and ascetic insight; their presence signals that righteous governance itself is invested in restoring cosmic balance.

Why mention elephants, chariots, and horses in a celestial context?

Purāṇas often narrate divine conflicts using royal-epic military idioms. The imagery translates cosmic struggle into recognizable kṣatriya warfare motifs, emphasizing scale, organization, and the legitimacy of the mobilized host.

Who are the Siddhas here—are they gods?

Siddhas are typically semi-divine perfected beings, often associated with aerial movement and yogic powers. They are not ‘gods’ in the narrow sense but occupy a higher ontological tier than humans, frequently appearing as witnesses or participants in major cosmic events.