Shloka 23

Hymn of Victory: Varāha, the Slaying of Hiraṇyākṣa, and the Praise of Viṣṇu

Devanagari script

दैत्यानां प्रवराणां च शिरांसि निपतंति कौ । शमनो यमदंडेन कोटिकोटिसहस्रशः

Transliteration

daityānāṃ pravarāṇāṃ ca śirāṃsi nipataṃti kau | śamano yamadaṃḍena koṭikoṭisahasraśaḥ

Translation

Então caíram as cabeças dos mais nobres Dāityas, em multidões incontáveis; pois Śamana (Yama), golpeando com a vara de Yama, os abatia por dezenas de milhões e dezenas de milhões.

Word by Word

• दैत्यानाम्: of the Daityas
• दैत्यानाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• प्रवराणाम्: of the foremost
• प्रवराणाम्: विशेषण (Adjectival to genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) दैत्यानाम्

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शिरांसि: heads
• शिरांसि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• निपतन्ति: fall down
• निपतन्ति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कौ: Kau (proper name)
• कौ: अधिकरण/सम्बोधन-प्राय (contextual; name in narration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (proper name)

• शमनः: Śamana (Yama)
• शमनः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• यमदण्डेन: with Yama’s staff
• यमदण्डेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक; components: यम + दण्ड)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन

• कोटि-कोटि-सहस्रशः: by crores upon crores, in thousands (innumerably)
• कोटि-कोटि-सहस्रशः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि + कोटि + सहस्र + शस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: परिमाण-वाचक अव्यय (distributive/multiplicative adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (context not supplied; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma frame typical of the Padma Purāṇa)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: निपतंति → निपतन्ति (अनुस्वार-लोप/लिखित-भेद). कोटिकोटिसहस्रशः → कोटि-कोटि-सहस्रशः (समास/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग).

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Śamana (Yama)
• Yama-daṇḍa

FAQs

Who is Śamana in this verse?

Śamana is an epithet of Yama, the cosmic restrainer and lord of justice/death, who enforces moral order (dharma) through punishment.

What is the significance of the “Yama-daṇḍa” (rod of Yama)?

The Yama-daṇḍa symbolizes juridical cosmic authority—punishment that restores balance when beings act against dharma.

What ethical lesson does this verse convey?

It emphasizes accountability: even the strongest wrongdoers (the “foremost Daityas”) are subject to the consequences of adharma under divine law.