Vamana Purana — Harihara Revelation, Shloka 45

Harihara Revelation and the Kurukshetra Tirtha Cycle: Sthanu in Vishnu and the Sanctification of Saptasarasvata

Devanagari script

दुर्भिक्षे व्यसने चापि येनात्मा विनिवेदितः स स्वयन्दत्त इत्युस्तथान्यः कारणान्तरैः

Transliteration

durbhikṣe vyasane cāpi yenātmā viniveditaḥ sa svayandatta ityustathānyaḥ kāraṇāntaraiḥ

Translation

దుర్భిక్షం గానీ విపత్తు గానీ వచ్చినప్పుడు కూడా ఎవడు తన స్వదేహాన్ని/ఆత్మను సమర్పిస్తాడో అతడు ‘స్వయందత్త’ అని చెప్పబడతాడు; అలాగే ఇతర కారణాల వల్ల కూడా ఎవడైనా అలా పిలువబడవచ్చు।

Word by Word

• dur-bhikṣe: in famine
• dur-bhikṣe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + bhikṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (दुष्टं/कठिनं भिक्षम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vyasane: in calamity
• vyasane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ātmā: self/person
• ātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viniveditaḥ: surrendered/offered
• viniveditaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ni-vid (धातु)
• Form: वि-नि-उपसर्ग + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; "offered/surrendered"

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• svayam-dattaḥ: self-given (one who gives himself)
• svayam-dattaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayam (अव्यय) + datta (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ("स्वयम् दत्तः"), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय

• uktaḥ: is called
• uktaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; "is said/called"

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• anyaḥ: another (one)
• anyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kāraṇa-antaraiḥ: by other reasons
• kāraṇa-antaraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ("कारणानाम् अन्तरैः" = by other reasons), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in input (didactic dharma passage; likely a sage/narrator instructing a listener
• as common in Purāṇic dharma sections).

Key Themes

• Dharma teaching
• Ethics of self-surrender/self-sale
• Famine ethics (durbhikṣa-dharma)
• Definitions/classifications in dharma discourse

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘svayaṃdatta’ mean in this context?

It is a dharma-technical label for a person who has ‘given himself’—i.e., surrendered his person/agency under extreme conditions (such as famine) or other specified circumstances. The verse is definitional rather than devotional.

Is the verse endorsing self-surrender as ideal dharma?

The wording functions as classification: it identifies who is called ‘self-given’ under famine/calamity and other causes. Purāṇic dharma sections often record such categories without presenting them as universally desirable.

Why mention famine (durbhikṣa) specifically?

Famine is a classic ‘exceptional circumstance’ in dharma literature where normal social-economic rules are discussed with special nuance; this verse anchors the definition of svayaṃdatta in such crisis conditions.