Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas Shloka 4 - Vamana Purana | Malay | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

आसीन्निशाचरपतिर्विद्युत्केशीति विश्रुतः तस्य पुत्रो गुणज्येष्ठः सुकेशिरभवत्ततः

Transliteration

āsīnniśācarapatirvidyutkeśīti viśrutaḥ tasya putro guṇajyeṣṭhaḥ sukeśirabhavattataḥ

Translation

Ada seorang raja para pengembara malam (nisācara, makhluk asura) yang masyhur bernama Vidyutkeśa. Puteranya, yang paling utama dalam kebajikan, kemudian lahir dengan nama Sukeśin.

Word by Word

आसीत्was

निशाचरपतिःlord of night-rangers (demons)

विद्युत्केशीVidyutkeśī (Lightning-haired)

इतिthus

विश्रुतःrenowned

तस्यof him

पुत्रःson

गुणज्येष्ठःbest in virtues

सुकेशिःSukeśi

अभवत्became/was

ततःthen/thereupon

Speakers

Not stated in the provided excerpt (often framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇabut not asserted here).

Key Themes

GenealogyRākṣasa/Asura narrativesMoral characterization (virtue attributed even within demon lineages)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames virtue (guṇa) as a meaningful attribute regardless of birth-lineage, suggesting that dharmic qualities can appear even in traditionally 'demonic' clans—an ethical emphasis on conduct over mere category.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa?

Primarily Vamśānucarita (accounts of dynasties/lineages), introducing a succession (Vidyutkeśa → Sukeśin) that supports later narrative causality (boons, conflicts, or rule).

What is the symbolic significance?

Names like 'Vidyutkeśa' and 'Sukeśin' use luminous/auspicious imagery, hinting that power and splendor (tejas) can be morally directed—setting up the tension between divine grace and its use by non-divine beings.