Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 37

Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Origin of Kapalin Rudra (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

तच्छिन्नं शङ्करस्यैव सव्ये करतले ऽपतत् पतते न कदाचिच्च तच्छङ्करकराच्छिरः

Transliteration

tacchinnaṃ śaṅkarasyaiva savye karatale 'patat patate na kadācicca tacchaṅkarakarācchiraḥ

Translation

ସେ ଛିନ୍ନ ଶିର ଶଙ୍କରଙ୍କ ନିଜ ବାମ କରତଳରେ ପଡ଼ିଲା; ଏବଂ ସେ ଶିର କେବେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଶଙ୍କରଙ୍କ ହାତରୁ ତଳେ ପଡ଼ିଲା ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative qualifying छिन्नम्: ‘that’

• छिन्नम्: the severed (head)
• छिन्नम्: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद् (धातु) → छिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; used substantively: ‘the severed (head)’

• शङ्करस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शङ्करस्य: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of Śaṅkara’

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle): ‘indeed/only’

• सव्ये: on the left
• सव्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘in/on the left’ qualifying करतले

• कर-तले: in the palm
• कर-तले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘in the palm of the hand’

• अपतत्: fell
• अपतत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘fell’

• पतते: falls
• पतते: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘falls’ (gnomic/iterative)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• कदाचित्: ever, at any time
• कदाचित्: काल-क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘ever/at any time’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’ (here often expletive/continuative)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifying शिरः: ‘that’

• शङ्कर-करात्: from Śaṅkara’s hand
• शङ्कर-करात्: अपादान (Apādāna/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘from Śaṅkara’s hand’

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; subject of पतते (with negation)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purana (likely within Pulastya–Nārada frame; specific speaker not explicit in the given excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Śaṅkara)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Mythic combat
• Divine invulnerability
• Theophany

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse underscores the superhuman (atīndriya) nature of the deity: even in the imagery of injury or dismemberment, Śiva’s sovereignty and self-possession are not compromised. Ethically, it conveys steadiness (dhairya) and the transcendence of bodily limitation in the divine archetype.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This functions within Vamśānucarita / narrative-episode material (itihāsa-like divine exploit) rather than cosmological sarga-pratisarga. It is mythic narration describing divine action and its portent.

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘head that does not fall’ symbolizes unbroken divine agency: the deity contains and controls even the seeming rupture. In a syncretic Purāṇic register, such invulnerability motifs prepare the ground for later assertions that the supreme principle is not diminished by apparent conflict among deities.