Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 51

Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Origin of Kapalin Rudra (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्तः स तु शङ्करेण आद्यं धनुस्त्वाजगवं प्रसिद्धम् जग्राह तूणानि तथाक्षयाणि युद्धाय वीरः स मतिं चकार

Transliteration

ityevamuktaḥ sa tu śaṅkareṇa ādyaṃ dhanustvājagavaṃ prasiddham jagrāha tūṇāni tathākṣayāṇi yuddhāya vīraḥ sa matiṃ cakāra

Translation

శంకరుడు ఇలా చెప్పగా ఆ వీరుడు ప్రసిద్ధమైన ఆద్య ధనుస్సు ‘ఆజగవ’ను పట్టుకున్నాడు; అలాగే అక్షయ తూణీరాలను కూడా తీసుకున్నాడు. ఆపై యుద్ధానికి సంకల్పించాడు.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (iti-nipāta)

• evam: in this way
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Rīti-avyaya (manner adverb)

• uktaḥ: having been spoken to / addressed
• uktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) — subject qualifier (one who was addressed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (contrastive particle)

• śaṅkareṇa: by Śaṅkara
• śaṅkareṇa: Karaṇa (करण) / Agent-in-passive (कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana

• ādyam: first/primeval
• ādyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of ‘dhanuḥ’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• dhanuḥ: bow
• dhanuḥ: Karma (कर्म) — object of ‘jagrāha’
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• tu: indeed
• tu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (emphatic/contrast)

• ājagavam: Ājagava (name of the bow)
• ājagavam: Apposition to Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājagava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana (proper name of a bow)

• prasiddham: famous
• prasiddham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of ‘dhanuḥ/ājagavam’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasiddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• jagrāha: took/seized
• jagrāha: Kriyā (क्रिया) — main verb
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

• tūṇāni: quivers
• tūṇāni: Karma (कर्म) — additional object
• Type: Noun
• Root: tūṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana (Plural)

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya/anuvṛtti-avyaya (also/likewise)

• akṣayāṇi: inexhaustible
• akṣayāṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of ‘tūṇāni’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• yuddhāya: for battle
• yuddhāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान) — purpose (for battle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Caturthī vibhakti (Dative, 4th), Ekavacana

• vīraḥ: the hero
• vīraḥ: Karta (कर्ता) — apposition to ‘saḥ’
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• matim: resolve/intention
• matim: Karma (कर्म) — object of ‘cakāra’
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• cakāra: made/formed
• cakāra: Kriyā (क्रिया) — main verb
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

Speakers

• Narrator describing Nara’s response to Śaṅkara’s words

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Vishnu/Nārāyaṇa (implicit via Nara’s identity)

Key Themes

• Divine weaponry
• Righteous warfare (dharma-yuddha framing)
• Shaiva–Vaishnava cooperation
• Preparation/resolve (saṅkalpa) before action

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Force is portrayed as ethically conditioned: the hero arms himself only after receiving dharmic direction. Resolve (mati/saṅkalpa) is shown as disciplined, not impulsive.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / narrative action sequence: the arming of a divinely connected hero within an episode of conflict.

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘inexhaustible quivers’ signify inexhaustible dharmic potency when action is aligned with divine will; the named bow (Ājagava) functions as a marker of superhuman, sanctioned agency rather than ordinary violence.