Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 49

Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti

Devanagari script

अथोवाच नरो दैत्यं का ते चिन्ता दितीश्वर सामर्थ्ये सति यः कुर्यात् तत्संपद्येत तस्य हि

Transliteration

athovāca naro daityaṃ kā te cintā ditīśvara sāmarthye sati yaḥ kuryāt tatsaṃpadyeta tasya hi

Translation

Pagkatapos ay sinabi ni Nara sa Daitya: “O panginoon ng angkan ni Diti, ano ang iyong ikinababahala? Ang sinumang kumikilos kapag may kakayahan, tiyak na matatamo ang ninanais na bunga.”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: अव्यय-प्रयोग (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle: then/now)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरः: the man
• नरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दैत्यम्: to the Daitya (demon)
• दैत्यम्: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient; addressed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• का: what (kind of)?
• का: कर्ता (Karta; predicate question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• ते: your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• चिन्ता: worry; concern
• चिन्ता: कर्ता (Karta; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दितीश्वर: O lord of Diti (chief of the Daityas)
• दितीश्वर: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—दितेः ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सामर्थ्ये: in capability; when power exists
• सामर्थ्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Condition-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सति: being (present); when there is
• सति: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa; locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: सत्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle) ‘सत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्ता (Karta; subject of result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तद्-शब्दः (correlative)

• संपद्येत: would come to be; would be accomplished
• संपद्येत: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him; for him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: अव्यय-प्रयोग (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

Speakers

• Nara speaking to a Daitya ruler addressed as Ditīśvara (likely the Daityendra in the following verses)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (via Nara-Narayana association)

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Dharma (right action aligned with capacity)
• Avatars
• Valor / Kshatriya ethos

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Anxiety is countered by dharmic resolve: when one has the requisite strength/means (sāmarthya), one should act; rightful effort tends toward fruition. It affirms agency and disciplined courage rather than hesitation.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / Carita-like narrative material: it functions as episodic dialogue within legendary history, not cosmogenesis (sarga) or dissolution (pralaya).

What is the symbolic significance?

Nara’s reassurance frames divine confidence: the avatāric presence implies that capability is not merely human but sanctioned by cosmic order, foreshadowing the revelation of overwhelming power in the next verses.