Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 49

Vamana’s Birth during Bali’s Horse-Sacrifice and the Mapping of Vishnu’s Sacred Presences

Devanagari script

भरद्वाजादाङ्गिरसात् सामवेदं महाध्वनिम् महदाख्यानसंयुक्तं गन्धर्वसहितं मुने

Transliteration

bharadvājādāṅgirasāt sāmavedaṃ mahādhvanim mahadākhyānasaṃyuktaṃ gandharvasahitaṃ mune

Translation

From Bharadvāja, the descendant of Aṅgiras, he learned the Sāmaveda—resounding with great chant—together with the great narratives, and accompanied by the Gandharvas, O sage.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice addressing a ‘muni’ (sage) as listener; specific named dialogue frame not present in the excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Bhagavān)

Key Themes

• Transmission of Veda through ṛṣi lineages
• Sāmavedic musical-sacral sound
• Gandharvas and sacred music
• Integration of narrative (ākhyāna) with Vedic learning

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are Gandharvas mentioned in connection with the Sāmaveda?

The Sāmaveda is fundamentally sung; Gandharvas personify celestial music. Their mention underscores the sacral-musical dimension of Sāman recitation and its cosmic prestige.

What might ‘mahadākhyānasaṃyukta’ indicate here?

In Purāṇic diction it can signal that Vedic instruction is taught along with explanatory narratives—extended accounts that contextualize mantras, rites, and their fruits—bridging śruti with itihāsa/purāṇa-style exposition.

Does ‘Āṅgirasāt’ change the identity of Bharadvāja?

It functions as a lineage marker (‘of Aṅgiras’), situating Bharadvāja within a revered ṛṣi genealogy and emphasizing the legitimacy of the transmission.