Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 101

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

नाहोपरि तथा मुष्टौ स्थानं शशिमणिप्रभम् पञ्चगुल्माभवज्जाती शशाङ्ककिरणोज्ज्वला

Transliteration

nāhopari tathā muṣṭau sthānaṃ śaśimaṇiprabham pañcagulmābhavajjātī śaśāṅkakiraṇojjvalā

Translation

ସେହିପରି ନାସାର ଉପରେ, ମୁଷ୍ଟିସ୍ଥାନରେ ଯେ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରମଣି-ପ୍ରଭାରେ ଦୀପ୍ତ ଥିଲା, ତାହା ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରକିରଣରେ ଉଜ୍ଜ୍ୱଳ ପଞ୍ଚ ଗୁଲ୍ମର ‘ଜାତୀ’ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• नाहोपरि: above the navel
• नाहोपरि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाह + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः (नाहस्य उपरि); अव्यय (locative sense: above the navel)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• मुष्टौ: in/on the fist (grip)
• मुष्टौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्थानम्: place/spot
• स्थानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शशिमणिप्रभम्: moon-gem-like in radiance
• शशिमणिप्रभम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शशि-मणि + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (शशिमणेः प्रभा इव/शशिमणिप्रभम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थानम्)

• पञ्चगुल्मा: Pañcagulmā (five-clumped jasmine variety/name)
• पञ्चगुल्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + गुल्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमासः (पञ्च गुल्माः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (जाति-नाम)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जाती: jasmine (jātī)
• जाती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शशाङ्ककिरणोज्ज्वला: bright with moonbeams
• शशाङ्ककिरणोज्ज्वला: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शशाङ्क + किरण + उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (शशाङ्कस्य किरणैः उज्ज्वला); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (जाती/पञ्चगुल्मा)

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (typical framing for this section; not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Tīrtha Māhātmya
• Mythic Etiology
• Sacral Botany (groves/thickets)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity and cooling gentleness (moonlight symbolism) are presented as spiritual qualities of a place; the pilgrim is encouraged toward calmness, restraint, and non-violence in sacred precincts.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

As with the surrounding verses, it functions as tīrtha-māhātmya/etiological narration rather than cosmological creation cycles; it is best indexed as narrative glorification of sacred locales.

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘fist’ location suggests embodied mapping of holiness; ‘moon-gem’ and ‘moonbeams’ encode śītala (cool, soothing) sattvic sanctity, while ‘five thickets’ can be read as a structured sacred micro-landscape (pañca as an auspicious organizing number).