Vamana Purana — Sukeshi's Inquiry into Dharma, Shloka 31

Sukeshi’s Inquiry into Dharma: The Seven Dvipas and the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

स ताड्यमानः शिशिरांशुबाणैरवाप पीडां परमां गजेन्द्रः दुष्टश्च वेगात् पयसामधीशं मुहुर्मुहुः पादतलैर्ममर्द

Transliteration

sa tāḍyamānaḥ śiśirāṃśubāṇairavāpa pīḍāṃ paramāṃ gajendraḥ duṣṭaśca vegāt payasāmadhīśaṃ muhurmuhuḥ pādatalairmamarda

Translation

เมื่อถูกศรแห่งรัศมีเย็นโจมตี คชेंद्रผู้เป็นใหญ่ย่อมได้รับความเจ็บปวดอย่างยิ่ง และด้วยความดุร้ายในแรงโทสะ เขาเหยียบย่ำเจ้าแห่งสายน้ำซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าด้วยฝ่าเท้า.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun ‘he’

• ताड्यमानः: being struck
• ताड्यमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि शानच्/यमान (present passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being struck’

• शिशिरांशुबाणैः: with cool-rayed arrows
• शिशिरांशुबाणैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशिर + अंशु + बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भव): शिशिरांशूनां बाणैः; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अवाप: suffered/attained
• अवाप: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect ‘obtained/reached’

• पीडाम्: pain, torment
• पीडाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme, intense
• परमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying पीडाम्

• गजेन्द्रः: lord of elephants
• गजेन्द्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: गजानाम् इन्द्रः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुष्टः: wicked, enraged
• दुष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective qualifying गजेन्द्रः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वेगात्: with force
• वेगात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ablative ‘from/with force’

• पयसाम्: of waters
• पयसाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; genitive ‘of waters’

• अधीशम्: the lord (Varuṇa)
• अधीशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘overlord’

• मुहुः: again
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थ क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• मुहुः: again
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थ क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• पादतलैः: with the soles of (his) feet
• पादतलैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: पादस्य तलैः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; instrumental ‘with soles’

• ममर्द: crushed
• ममर्द: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद्/मर्द् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect ‘crushed’

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (likely within the Purāṇic frame narration
• often Pulastya → Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Varuṇa

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Retribution and escalation
• Cosmic order vs. violent force

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Pain and humiliation can provoke further cruelty when dominated by tamas/rajas; the verse warns that uncontrolled reaction to suffering multiplies harm and deepens adharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / narrative episode: a conflict scene illustrating the interplay of devas and powerful beings. It is not cosmogony (sarga) but an embedded legend supporting the text’s broader dharma and tīrtha-oriented teaching.

What is the symbolic significance?

Varuṇa (waters, restraint, law) being trampled by a raging elephant dramatizes the subjugation of “order and measure” by brute force—an image of chaos overwhelming regulation until higher balance is restored.