Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 84

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

Devanagari script

हर उवाच/ यद्यर्चयन्ति त्रिदशा मम लिङ्गं सुरोत्तमौ तदेतत्प्रतिगृह्णीयां नान्यथेति कथञ्चन

Transliteration

hara uvāca/ yadyarcayanti tridaśā mama liṅgaṃ surottamau tadetatpratigṛhṇīyāṃ nānyatheti kathañcana

Translation

Hara disse: “Se os trinta deuses (Tridaśa) venerarem o meu liṅga, ó o melhor entre os deuses, então eu o aceitarei de fato—de modo algum de outra maneira.”

Word by Word

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक-अव्यय (conditional: if)

• अर्चयन्ति: worship
• अर्चयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• त्रिदशाः: the gods
• त्रिदशाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (त्रिंशद्-दश-सम्बन्धः; देवाः)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सुरोत्तमौ: O best of gods (you two)
• सुरोत्तमौ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमौ सुरौ)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रतिगृह्णीयाम्: I should accept
• प्रतिगृह्णीयाम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (otherwise)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyartha-marker (वाक्यार्थ-चिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• कथञ्चन: in any way (at all)
• कथञ्चन: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथञ्चन (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-बलवर्धक-अव्यय (in any way/at all; with negation: not at all)

Speakers

• Hara (Śiva) replying to the Devas

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• The Devas

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Rituals
• Bhakti
• Divine Sanction
• Sectarian Harmony

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Worship is not merely transactional; it is a dharmic alignment. The verse emphasizes proper reverence (arcana) as the condition for divine acceptance and restoration.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It functions as ākhyāna with a ritual-theological teaching embedded in narrative—supporting dharma and upāsanā (worship) rather than cosmological categories.

What is the symbolic significance?

Śiva’s conditional acceptance underscores the primacy of devotion and right ritual order; in the Vāmana Purāṇa’s non-sectarian tone, it also normalizes Devas collectively honoring Śiva’s liṅga, reinforcing inter-sectarian complementarity.