Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 12

Chanda and Munda Discover Katyayani; Mahishasura’s Proposal and the Vishnu-Panjara Protection

Devanagari script

तञ्जानुयुग्मं महिषासुरेन्द्र अर्द्धेन्नतं भाति तथैव तस्याः सृष्ट्वा विधाता हि निरूपणाय श्रान्तस्तथा हस्ततले ददौ हि

Transliteration

tañjānuyugmaṃ mahiṣāsurendra arddhennataṃ bhāti tathaiva tasyāḥ sṛṣṭvā vidhātā hi nirūpaṇāya śrāntastathā hastatale dadau hi

Translation

ఓ మహిషాసురేంద్రా! ఆమె జానుయుగ్మం స్వల్పంగా ఎత్తుగా ఉండి అలాగే ప్రకాశిస్తుంది. సముచిత ప్రమాణం కోసం వాటిని సృష్టించిన విధాత, శ్రమించి, తన హస్తతలంపై ఉంచినట్లుగా అనిపిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जानुयुग्मम्: pair of knees
• जानुयुग्मम्: Karma (कर्म; object in description)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु + युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जान्वोः युग्मम् = pair of knees)

• महिषासुरेन्द्र: O lord of the buffalo-demons
• महिषासुरेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषासुर + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महिषासुराणाम् इन्द्रः)

• अर्द्ध-उन्नतम्: half-raised
• अर्द्ध-उन्नतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of जानुयुग्मम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्द्ध + उन्नत (प्रातिपदिक; उन्नत = कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अर्द्धम् उन्नतम् = half-raised)

• भाति: shines, appears
• भाति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सृष्ट्वा: having created
• सृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाल (having created)

• विधाता: the Creator (Brahmā)
• विधाता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• निरूपणाय: for examination/assessment
• निरूपणाय: Sampradana/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the sake of examination/assessment)

• श्रान्तः: tired
• श्रान्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण of विधाता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रम् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (tired) qualifying विधाता

• तथा: then/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• हस्ततले: on the palm
• हस्ततले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हस्तस्य तलम् = palm)

• ददौ: gave, placed
• ददौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

Speakers

• Verse explicitly addresses 'mahiṣāsurendra' (a buffalo-demon lord)
• indicating a dialogue or narration directed to an asura ruler

Primary Deities

• Brahmā (Vidhātṛ) as creator-artisan

Key Themes

• Poetic anatomy (aṅga-varṇana)
• Divine craftsmanship (Brahmā as designer)
• Asura-court/narrative address (implied by vocative)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The hyperbole that even the Creator 'tires' underscores the Purāṇic idea of astonishing cosmic artistry in embodied form; ethically, it can be read as a reminder that beauty is a crafted phenomenon—worthy of wonder, yet not to be confused with the permanent Self.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This remains outside the strict pañcalakṣaṇa categories; it is descriptive narrative ornamentation (varṇana) within a larger episode.

What is the symbolic significance?

Invoking Vidhātṛ’s 'design' (nirūpaṇa) frames physical beauty as intentional cosmic order (ṛta-like proportion). Addressing an asura-lord suggests the verse may function rhetorically to captivate, persuade, or intensify desire within an asuric setting—showing how kāma can operate even among powerful antagonists.