Vamana Purana — Akhanda Ekadashi Vrata, Shloka 36

Akhaṇḍa-Ekādaśī Vrata and the Vaiṣṇava Protective Hymn; Prelude to the Kātyāyanī–Mahiṣāsura Narrative

Devanagari script

करशीर्षाङ्घ्रर्वेषु तथाष्टबाहुपञ्जरम् कृत्वा रक्षस्व मां देव नमस्ते पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

karaśīrṣāṅghrarveṣu tathāṣṭabāhupañjaram kṛtvā rakṣasva māṃ deva namaste puruṣottama

Translation

करैः शिरसा पादैश्च तथा अष्टबाहुपञ्जरं कृत्वा मां रक्षस्व, देव। नमस्ते पुरुषोत्तम।

Word by Word

• कर: in the hands
• कर: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; (समुच्चय-निर्देशः)

• शीर्ष: on the heads
• शीर्ष: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन्/शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अङ्घ्रि: at the feet
• अङ्घ्रि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अर्वेषु: in the parts/limbs
• अर्वेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्दः, सम्भाव्य अर्थः ‘अङ्गेषु/अर्वेषु’ = in the limbs/parts

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अष्टबाहुपञ्जरम्: the cage/armor of eight arms
• अष्टबाहुपञ्जरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट+बाहु+पञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अष्टानां बाहूनां पञ्जरम्)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• रक्षस्व: protect (yourself/please protect)
• रक्षस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपपद-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नमः ते = to you)

• पुरुषोत्तम: O best of persons (Puruṣottama)
• पुरुषोत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष+उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषाणाम् उत्तमः)

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (likely a supplicant voice within the Purāṇic dialogue frame)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Puruṣottama)

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Bhakti
• Divine iconography (multi-armed form)
• Protective visualization (kavaca-like imagery)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Protection is framed as nearness and encompassing presence: the devotee asks the Lord to ‘surround’ them, indicating that spiritual safety arises from being held within divine order rather than mere external security.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is stotra/kavaca-style material embedded in Purāṇic narration, serving the Purāṇa’s didactic aim (dharma and upāsanā). It is not a direct sarga/pratisarga passage, but supports the Purāṇic function of teaching devotion and ritualized remembrance.

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘eight-armed cage’ symbolizes inexhaustible capability: multiple arms imply the Lord’s simultaneous protection in all directions and against varied dangers; the body-part enclosure evokes a kavaca (spiritual armor) generated by divine presence.