Vamana Purana — Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas, Shloka 30

Sukesha’s Boon, the Twelve Dharmas of Beings, and the Cosmography of the Seven Dvipas with the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः शृणुष्व मनुजादीनां धर्मास्तु क्षणदाचर ये वसन्ति महीपृष्ठे नरा द्वीपेषु सप्तसु

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ śṛṇuṣva manujādīnāṃ dharmāstu kṣaṇadācara ye vasanti mahīpṛṣṭhe narā dvīpeṣu saptasu

Translation

Para Ṛṣi berkata: Dengarlah, wahai pengembara malam (kṣaṇadācara), tentang dharma manusia dan seumpamanya—yakni dharma orang-orang yang mendiami permukaan bumi, di tujuh dvīpa.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person plural, Perfect)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (2nd person singular, Imperative)

• मनुजादीनाम्: of humans and others
• मनुजादीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• धर्माः: dharmas
• धर्माः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• क्षणदाचर: O night-wanderer (Rākṣasa)
• क्षणदाचर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षणद-आचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun)

• वसन्ति: live/dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person plural, Present)

• महीपृष्ठे: on the earth’s surface
• महीपृष्ठे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• द्वीपेषु: in the islands/continents
• द्वीपेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Locative, Plural)

• सप्तसु: in seven
• सप्तसु: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Locative Plural; agreeing with द्वीपेषु)

Speakers

• Ṛṣis (respondents) to Sukeśi (addressed as kṣaṇadācara)

Key Themes

• Human dharma
• Cosmography (sapta-dvīpa)
• Instruction to non-human interlocutor (rākṣasa)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ethical instruction is universalizable across human societies (‘seven dvīpas’), implying dharma as a cosmic norm applicable wherever humans dwell, not confined to a single region or tribe.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Touches Sarga/Pratisarga through cosmography (sapta-dvīpa framework) while serving as a preface to Ācāra (conduct) teaching—Purāṇas often blend cosmology with dharma exposition.

What is the symbolic significance?

Addressing a rākṣasa as the listener underscores that knowledge of dharma is not restricted by birth; even those stereotyped as adhārmic are positioned as capable recipients of ethical teaching.