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Shloka 22

The Appearance of Vāmanadeva and His Arrival at Bali’s Sacrifice

ते ऋत्विजो यजमान: सदस्या हतत्विषो वामनतेजसा नृप । सूर्य: किलायात्युत वा विभावसु: सनत्कुमारोऽथ दिद‍ृक्षया क्रतो: ॥ २२ ॥

te ṛtvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyā hata-tviṣo vāmana-tejasā nṛpa sūryaḥ kilāyāty uta vā vibhāvasuḥ sanat-kumāro ’tha didṛkṣayā kratoḥ

Wahai Raja, kerana sinar gemilang Vāmanadeva, para pendeta, Bali sebagai yajamāna, dan seluruh ahli perhimpunan seakan kehilangan seri mereka. Lalu mereka saling bertanya: “Adakah ini Sūrya-deva, Agni-deva, atau Sanat-kumāra yang datang menyaksikan yajna?”

tethey
te:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural
ṛtvijaḥpriests
ṛtvijaḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural
yajamānaḥthe sacrificer (Bali)
yajamānaḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyajamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
sadasyāḥthe members of the assembly
sadasyāḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsadasya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural
hata-tviṣaḥwith their luster dimmed
hata-tviṣaḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता) — qualifier
TypeAdjective
Roothata (कृदन्त) + tviṣ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; tatpuruṣa: ‘hatā tviṣ yaiḥ/yeṣām’ = whose splendor is struck; qualifying ‘ṛtvijaḥ/yajamānaḥ/sadasyāḥ’ collectively
vāmana-tejasāby the splendor of Vāmana
vāmana-tejasā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootvāmana (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘vāmana-sya tejas’
nṛpaO king
nṛpa:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
sūryaḥthe Sun
sūryaḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
kilaindeed/it is said
kila:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkila (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable particle (निपात), emphasis/reportative
āyāticomes
āyāti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootā-yā (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada
utaor else/and also
uta:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootuta (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable particle (निपात), alternative/additive
or
:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात)
vibhāvasuḥAgni (the fire-god)
vibhāvasuḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvibhāvasu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
sanat-kumāraḥSanatkumāra
sanat-kumāraḥ:
Kartā (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsanat (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; karmadhāraya proper name
athathen/also
atha:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable conjunction/particle (अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय)
didṛkṣayāout of a desire to see
didṛkṣayā:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootdṛś (धातु) → didṛkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; abstract noun ‘desire to see’
kratoḥof the sacrifice
kratoḥ:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootkratu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
V
Vāmana
B
Bali Mahārāja
S
Sūrya
A
Agni (Vibhāvasu)
S
Sanat-kumāra

FAQs

This verse says Vāmana’s tejas was so overwhelming that the priests, Bali, and the entire assembly appeared to lose their own splendor, as if the Sun or fire-god had arrived.

Sanat-kumāra came out of didṛkṣā—eagerness to witness the extraordinary sacrifice where the Supreme Lord (as Vāmana) had appeared.

The verse reminds seekers that worldly brilliance is limited, while divine presence transforms everything—so one should prioritize devotion and sacred association over mere external prestige.