Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 41

Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)

Devanagari script

पीतवासा उवाच सो ऽहं दानवशार्दूल लोकानां हितकाम्यया धर्मं प्रवर्त्तापयितुं तपश्चर्यां समास्थितः

Transliteration

pītavāsā uvāca so 'haṃ dānavaśārdūla lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā dharmaṃ pravarttāpayituṃ tapaścaryāṃ samāsthitaḥ

Translation

Питаваса сказал: «О тигр среди данавов, я—желая блага мирам—принял на себя аскезу (тапас), чтобы привести дхарму в действие и утвердить её»

Word by Word

• पीतवासा: the one wearing yellow garments
• पीतवासा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पा धातु) + वासस्/वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः (‘पीतं वासो यस्य सः’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject: he)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject: I)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोगः; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दानवशार्दूल: O tiger among Dānavas
• दानवशार्दूल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘दानवानां शार्दूलः’); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• हितकाम्यया: with the desire for welfare
• हितकाम्यया: Hetu (हेतु/cause, motive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (हितं काम्यते यया); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (for the sake of)

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रवर्त्तापयितुम्: to set in motion/establish
• प्रवर्त्तापयितुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: हेतुमति-णिच् (causative) + तुमुन् (infinitive); ‘to cause to set in motion/establish’

• तपश्चर्याम्: austerity, penance
• तपश्चर्याम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘तपसः चर्या’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समास्थितः: having undertaken
• समास्थितः: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement of अहम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having undertaken/entered upon’

Speakers

• Pītavāsā speaking to a Dānava leader (as reported within Pulastya’s narration)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (implied by epithet Pītavāsā)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Tapas
• Lokahita (welfare of the worlds)
• Daitya–Deva narrative frame

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames tapas not as private power-seeking but as lokahita—undertaken to restore or propel dharma for the welfare of all beings. Even when addressing a Dānava, the stated motive is universal good, emphasizing dharma as a cosmic, not sectarian, principle.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Primarily within Vamśānucarita/Carita-style narration (accounts of beings and their deeds) and implicitly supports Dharma as a regulator within the purāṇic cosmos. It is not sarga/pratisarga; it functions as didactic-ethical narration inside an itihāsa-like episode.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Yellow-robed’ (pītavāsā) symbolizes divine authority and preservation; undertaking tapas to ‘set dharma moving’ presents dharma as something that can decline and must be re-activated through divine discipline—an archetype for restoration of cosmic order.