Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 22

Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti

Devanagari script

एकदा निहते रौद्रो हिरण्यकशिपौ मुने अभिषिक्तस्तदा राज्ये प्रह्लादौ नाम दानवः

Transliteration

ekadā nihate raudro hiraṇyakaśipau mune abhiṣiktastadā rājye prahlādau nāma dānavaḥ

Translation

मुने, एकदा रौद्रे हिरण्यकशिपौ निहते सति, प्रह्लादो नाम दानवः तदा राज्येऽभिषिक्तः।

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (काल-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• निहते: when (he) was slain
• निहते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अधिकरणे सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• रौद्रे: fierce, terrible
• रौद्रे: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण of हिरण्यकशिपौ (intended)

• हिरण्यकशिपौ: in/when Hiraṇyakaśipu (was slain)
• हिरण्यकशिपौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (intended for locative absolute with निहते); textual form shows -औ (ambiguous/variant)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• अभिषिक्तः: was anointed
• अभिषिक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-षिच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; predicate adjective

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• राज्ये: in the kingdom / to the kingship
• राज्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; Devanagari/IAST show प्रह्लादौ (variant)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Viśeṣaṇa-marker (नाम-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नाम-निर्देशक (quotative/particle indicating name)

• दानवः: a demon (Dānava)
• दानवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; apposition to प्रह्लादः

Speakers

• Narrative frame not explicit in input (commonly Pulastya ↔ Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa); verse functions as narrator’s statement

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (implied via Narasiṃha episode background)

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Kingship (rājadharma)
• Succession/Consecration (abhiṣeka)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Legitimacy of rule is framed through abhiṣeka and subsequent protection of dharma; even a Daitya ruler can be portrayed as upholding social-religious order when aligned with reverence for brāhmaṇas and ritual law.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita: it continues dynastic narration among Daityas, marking a succession point after Hiraṇyakaśipu’s fall.

What is the symbolic significance?

The transition from tyrannical power (Hiraṇyakaśipu) to a dharma-favoring reign (Prahlāda) symbolizes the Purāṇic motif that devotion and moral order can arise even within antagonistic lineages.