Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 150

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

सशरं पञ्चवर्णाभं सितरक्तासितारुणम् पाण्डुच्छायं सुरश्रेष्ठस्तं जग्राह समार्गणम्

Transliteration

saśaraṃ pañcavarṇābhaṃ sitaraktāsitāruṇam pāṇḍucchāyaṃ suraśreṣṭhastaṃ jagrāha samārgaṇam

Translation

Then the foremost of the gods took up that arrow together with its quiver—an arrow of five-hued radiance: white, red, black, and tawny, with a pale sheen—ready for battle.

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle scene; no direct speech in the verse.

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Brahma

Key Themes

• Divine weaponry (āyudha)
• Deva–Asura conflict
• Symbolic color imagery in martial omens

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the arrow described as ‘five-colored’ and what might the colors signify?

Purāṇic battle descriptions often mark divine weapons with extraordinary, multi-hued radiance to indicate superhuman origin and efficacy. The listed colors (white, red, black, tawny, plus a pale sheen) can be read as a poetic intensification of brilliance and as an emblem of encompassing power—able to counter varied asuric forces and magical defenses.

Who is the ‘foremost of the gods’ here?

The verse uses the generic epithet suraśreṣṭha (‘best among the devas’) without naming the deity. In the Andhaka-vadha narrative frame, such epithets can refer to the principal deva combatant in the immediate passage (often Indra or a leading divine champion), while the broader episode remains under Śiva’s overarching martial presence.

Does this verse contribute to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographical agenda?

Not directly. Unlike tīrtha-māhātmya passages, this verse is a martial vignette; it contains no named sacred sites. Its function is narrative—heightening the sense of divine intervention and the sacral potency of the devas’ weaponry.