Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

आनम्य चापं वेगेन गार्द्धूपत्राञ्सिलीमुखान् मुमोच साध्याय तदा क्रोधन्धकारिताननः

Transliteration

ānamya cāpaṃ vegena gārddhūpatrāñsilīmukhān mumoca sādhyāya tadā krodhandhakāritānanaḥ

Translation

स वेगेन चापमानम्य गार्ध्रपक्षोपमपिच्छैः तीक्ष्णैः सिलीमुखैः साध्याय मुमोच; क्रोधान्धकारितवदनः।

Word by Word

• आनम्य: having bent (drawn)
• आनम्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: नम् (to bend) उपसर्ग: आ

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आपम्: the bow
• आपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• वेगेन: with speed/force
• वेगेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• गार्द्धूपत्रान्: having vulture-feathers (fletched)
• गार्द्धूपत्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गार्द्धूपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सिलीमुखान्: arrows
• सिलीमुखान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिलीमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• मुमोच: released/shot
• मुमोच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• साध्याय: for/at Sādhya
• साध्याय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• क्रोध-अन्धकारित-आननः: he whose face was darkened by anger
• क्रोध-अन्धकारित-आननः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्धकारित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘यस्य आननं क्रोधेन अन्धकारितम्’

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (likely within the Pulastya–Nārada narrative frame
• but not identifiable from these verses alone).

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Martial valor
• Krodha (anger) as a blinding force

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames anger (krodha) as a force that ‘darkens’ discernment; even martial prowess is shown as morally compromised when driven by wrath rather than dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This belongs to Vamśānucarita/Carita-type narration (accounts of beings and their deeds), specifically a battle episode within the broader narrative flow, rather than cosmogenesis (sarga) or dissolution (pralaya).

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘darkened face’ motif externalizes inner tamas: the warrior’s psychological state becomes visible, signaling that adharma often begins as an inner eclipse before it manifests as violence.