Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 59

Jabali Bound on the Banyan Tree and Nandayanti’s Appeal at Sri-Kantha on the Yamuna

Devanagari script

संज्ञां लेभे सुचार्वङ्गी दिशश्चाप्यवलोकयत् अपश्यन्ती नापतिं तथा स्निग्धं सखीजनम्

Transliteration

saṃjñāṃ lebhe sucārvaṅgī diśaścāpyavalokayat apaśyantī nāpatiṃ tathā snigdhaṃ sakhījanam

Translation

ସୁଚାରୁ ଅଙ୍ଗବତୀ ସେ ସଞ୍ଜ୍ଞା ପାଇ ଦିଗଦିଗନ୍ତକୁ ଚାହିଲା; କିନ୍ତୁ ନ ପତିକୁ ଦେଖିଲା, ନ ସ୍ନିଗ୍ଧ ସଖୀଜନକୁ।

Word by Word

• संज्ञाम्: consciousness / awareness
• संज्ञाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• लेभे: regained / obtained
• लेभे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सु-चारु-अङ्गी: the fair-limbed woman
• सु-चारु-अङ्गी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + चारु + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रधान कर्मधारय (well-limbed)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (also)

• अवलोकयत्: looked around
• अवलोकयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अपश्यन्ती: not seeing
• अपश्यन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ + पश्य (धातु √दृश्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise / also
• तथा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (in that way/likewise)

• स्निग्धम्: affectionate / dear
• स्निग्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सखी-जनम्: company of (her) friends
• सखी-जनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (group of friends)

Speakers

• Narrator to the same addressed interlocutor; internal focalization on the woman’s perception.

Key Themes

• Recovery from death-like state
• Separation from husband and companions
• Disorientation and search motif

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How does this verse clarify the meaning of mṛtakalpā in 37.57?

Her regaining saṃjñā (consciousness) indicates she was not definitively dead; mṛtakalpā is best read as a death-like swoon or suspended state, misinterpreted by the companions.

What is the narrative significance of not seeing her husband (pati) and friends (sakhījana)?

It establishes isolation, a common Purāṇic device that precipitates the next plot movement—encounter, instruction, danger, or divine aid—especially in a forest setting.

Does ‘looking to the directions’ carry any technical cosmological meaning here?

In this immediate context it is primarily a realistic search gesture. Secondarily, diśaḥ evokes the ordered cosmos (directional guardians, orientation), but no dikpāla or named geography is invoked in these lines.