Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 75

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्म पद्मविमानेन उर्ध्वमाक्रम्य सर्वतः नैवान्तमलभद् ब्रह्मन् विस्मितः पुनरागतः

Transliteration

brahma padmavimānena urdhvamākramya sarvataḥ naivāntamalabhad brahman vismitaḥ punarāgataḥ

Translation

Brahmā, elevando-se para o alto em todas as direções no vimāna de lótus, não encontrou o fim (disso), ó brāhmana; admirado, retornou novamente.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पद्म-विमानेन: by the lotus-aerial car
• पद्म-विमानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आक्रम्य: having ascended/stepped
• आक्रम्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• सर्वतः: on all sides; everywhere
• सर्वतः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• अन्तम्: end/limit
• अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• अलभत्: found/obtained
• अलभत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• विस्मितः: astonished
• विस्मितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+स्मि/स्मय्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• आगतः: returned/came back
• आगतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (used as finite sense)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic frame; direct address 'brahman' indicates a sage-listener (commonly Nārada) though not explicit here

Primary Deities

• Brahmā
• Śiva (implied via the liṅga)

Key Themes

• Transcendence and immeasurability
• Cosmic axis symbolism
• Epistemic humility
• Non-sectarian theology (Śiva’s sign as beyond Brahmā’s measure)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Status and intellect do not guarantee final knowledge: Brahmā’s inability to find the ‘end’ teaches restraint in metaphysical claims and encourages devotion grounded in awe rather than pride.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Again, this aligns with Carita/Vamśānucarita narrative instruction—didactic storytelling about divine realities—rather than Sarga/Pratisarga or Manvantara cataloguing.

What is the symbolic significance?

Brahmā’s upward search mirrors Viṣṇu’s downward search, forming a complete cosmological sweep. The failure in both directions encodes the doctrine that the Supreme (here signified by the liṅga) transcends spatial extremes and conceptual boundaries.