HomeVamana PuranaAdh. 1Shloka 3
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Shloka 3

Narada Questions PulastyaNarada Questions Pulastya: The Vamana Purana Begins and Satī’s Monsoon Lament

कथं भगवता ब्रह्मन् विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना वामनत्वं धृतं पूर्वं तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः

kathaṃ bhagavatā brahman viṣṇunā prabhaviṣṇunā vāmanatvaṃ dhṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ tanmamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ

ข้าแต่พราหมณ์! พระผู้เป็นเจ้า วิษณุผู้ทรงฤทธิ์ยิ่ง ได้ทรงรับสภาพเป็นวามนะในกาลก่อนอย่างไร? ขอท่านจงบอกแก่ข้าผู้ทูลถาม

कथम्how
कथम्:
Prashna (प्रश्न/अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)
भगवताby the Blessed Lord
भगवता:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootभगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन
ब्रह्मन्O Brahman (sage)
ब्रह्मन्:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
विष्णुनाby Viṣṇu
विष्णुना:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन
प्रभ-विष्णुनाby the mighty Viṣṇu
प्रभ-विष्णुना:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (प्रभविष्णुः = mighty/all-powerful Viṣṇu)
वामनत्वम्the state of being Vāmana (dwarfhood)
वामनत्वम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवामनत्व (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व तद्धित)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (abstract noun)
धृतम्assumed / borne
धृतम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootधृ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘धृ’—assumed/borne
पूर्वम्formerly / earlier
पूर्वम्:
Kala (काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)
तत्that (matter)
तत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन
ममto me / of me
मम:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
आचक्ष्वtell / explain
आचक्ष्व:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआ-चक्ष् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग: आ-
पृच्छतःof (me) who am asking
पृच्छतः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeVerb
Rootप्रच्छ् (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of (me) asking’
Nārada to Pulastya
Vishnu
VaishnavismAvatar doctrineBhaktiDaitya–Deva Conflict (anticipated context)Narrative causality (why the descent occurs)

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FAQs

Divine ‘descent’ (avatāra) is framed as purposeful intervention for restoring balance; inquiry into ‘how and why’ emphasizes that līlā is meaningful, not arbitrary.

It cues Vamśānucarita and manvantara-linked narratives (deva–asura episodes typically situated within manvantaras), preparing the text to situate the avatāra within cosmic-historical cycles.

Calling Viṣṇu ‘prabhaviṣṇu’ while asking about a ‘dwarf’ form highlights the paradox of omnipotence expressed through smallness—power perfected through restraint and strategic humility.