Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 100

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

Devanagari script

पञ्च षट् सप्त चाष्टौ वा व्रघ्नपादैर्घना इव गदया कांश्चिदवधीत् चक्रेणान्यान् जनार्दनः

Transliteration

pañca ṣaṭ sapta cāṣṭau vā vraghnapādairghanā iva gadayā kāṃścidavadhīt cakreṇānyān janārdanaḥ

Translation

Five, six, seven, or even eight (at a time)—like clouds driven by the feet of a storm—Janārdana slew some with the mace, and others with the discus.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator) describing events to the listening sage(s) (exact interlocutors not specified in input).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Overwhelming divine prowess
• Iconic weapons of Viṣṇu (cakra, gadā)
• Poetic simile in battle description

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the point of listing ‘five, six, seven, eight’?

It is a conventional epic-Purāṇic intensifier indicating rapid, repeated slaying—suggesting that multiple foes fall in quick succession with each strike.

How should we understand the simile involving ‘clouds’ and the difficult phrase (vṛghna-pādaiḥ)?

The simile evokes clouds being driven or scattered by violent atmospheric force; the transmitted reading appears uncertain, but the intended image is of irresistible momentum—mirroring Viṣṇu’s sweeping destruction of enemy ranks.

Why alternate between mace and discus?

The alternation highlights Viṣṇu’s completeness as a warrior: the gadā signifies crushing close combat, while the cakra signifies swift, far-reaching, decisive strikes—together portraying total battlefield mastery.