Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 76

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

Devanagari script

विष्णुर्गत्वाथ पातालान् सप्त लोकपरायणः चक्रपाणिर्विनिष्क्रान्तो लेभे ऽन्तं न महामुने

Transliteration

viṣṇurgatvātha pātālān sapta lokaparāyaṇaḥ cakrapāṇirviniṣkrānto lebhe 'ntaṃ na mahāmune

Translation

Wahai maha resi, Viṣṇu—yang perjalanannya meliputi tujuh dunia—telah pergi ke Pātāla; namun Tuhan yang memegang cakra itu, walaupun muncul (di sana), tetap tidak menemukan penghujungnya.

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/सम्बन्धसूचक (then)

• पातालान्: the netherworlds (Pātālas)
• पातालान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; गत्यर्थक क्रियायाः कर्म/अधिकरणार्थ (destination)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; पातालान् इति पदस्य विशेषण

• लोक-परायणः: devoted to the worlds / having the worlds as refuge
• लोक-परायणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• चक्र-पाणिः: the one with discus in hand
• चक्र-पाणिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'यस्यान्ते चक्रं पाणौ अस्ति'

• विनिष्क्रान्तः: having come forth/issued out
• विनिष्क्रान्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निस्-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• लेभे: found/obtained
• लेभे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अन्तम्: end/limit
• अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; 'महान् मुनिः'

Speakers

• Narrator voice addressing a sage (mahāmune); broader frame typically Pulastya → Nārada (not explicit in these verses)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Shaivism
• Sectarian Harmony
• Cosmic Immeasurability

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even a supreme cosmic power, traversing all realms, confronts the principle of the Infinite—humbling the intellect and redirecting it toward reverence (bhakti) rather than mere measurement or conquest.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This aligns most closely with Sarga/Pratisarga-style cosmological description (loka-structure and netherworlds) used as narrative scaffolding for a theologically oriented episode (stuti and deity-supremacy discourse).

What is the symbolic significance?

The inability to find an 'end' anticipates an ananta (limitless) motif often associated with the liṅga or supreme principle—setting up the next verses where Vishnu and Brahmā turn to praise Śiva, highlighting complementarity rather than rivalry.