Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 37

Ritadhvaja’s Aid to Galava and Andhaka’s Infatuation with Gauri

Devanagari script

न पश्यतीह जात्यन्धो रागान्धो ऽपि न पश्यति न पश्यति मदोन्मत्तो लोभाक्तान्तो न पश्यति सो ऽपश्यमानो गिरिजां पश्यन्नपि तदान्धकः

Transliteration

na paśyatīha jātyandho rāgāndho 'pi na paśyati na paśyati madonmatto lobhāktānto na paśyati so 'paśyamāno girijāṃ paśyannapi tadāndhakaḥ

Translation

Dito, ang bulag mula sa kapanganakan ay hindi nakakakita; ang nabulag ng rāga (pagnanasa) ay hindi rin nakakakita. Ang nalululong sa pagkalasing ay hindi nakakakita; ang kaloobang pinahiran ng lobha (kasakiman) ay hindi nakakakita. Kaya si Andhaka, bagaman nakatingin kay Girijā, noon ay hindi siya tunay na nakakita sa kanya.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• jātyandhaḥ: one blind from birth
• jātyandhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jātyā andhaḥ = blind by birth)

• rāgāndhaḥ: one blinded by passion
• rāgāndhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāga + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (rāgeṇa/ rāgasya andhaḥ = blinded by passion)

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

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• madonmattaḥ: one maddened by intoxication/pride
• madonmattaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mada + unmatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (madena unmattaḥ = crazed by intoxication/pride)

• lobhāktāntaḥ: one overcome by greed
• lobhāktāntaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha + āktānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (lobhena āktāntaḥ = afflicted/overcome by greed)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन

• apaśyamānaḥ: not seeing
• apaśyamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + a- (उपसर्ग/निषेध) (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; present participle), परस्मैपद-आधार, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नकारार्थ (not seeing)

• girijām: Girijā (Pārvatī)
• girijām: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girijā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• paśyan: seeing
• paśyan: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ; present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala (काल/time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: then)

• andhakaḥ: Andhaka
• andhakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator delivering a didactic explanation embedded in the Andhaka narrative

Primary Deities

• Pārvatī (Girijā)
• Śiva

Key Themes

• Fourfold blindness (physical and moral)
• Rāga (passion), Mada (intoxication/pride), Lobha (greed) as obscurers of discernment
• Name-symbolism: Andhaka as ‘darkness/blindness’
• Ethical didacticism within Purāṇic narrative

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the doctrinal point of listing four kinds of ‘not seeing’?

The verse teaches that ignorance is not only sensory (jātyandha) but also ethical-psychological: passion, intoxication/pride, and greed each function as ‘blindness’ that blocks recognition of truth and propriety—even when the object is directly before one’s eyes.

Why emphasize that Andhaka ‘sees’ Girijā yet ‘does not see’ her?

It distinguishes mere visual contact from true cognition (tattva-jñāna). Andhaka’s perception is distorted by rāga/mada/lobha, so he apprehends Girijā as an object of desire rather than as the Goddess, Śiva’s consort, and a sacred, inviolable presence.

Is there wordplay in the name ‘Andhaka’?

Yes. ‘Andhaka’ evokes andha (‘blind’) and darkness. The narrative leverages this resonance to portray him as one whose inner darkness prevents right recognition, aligning his name with his moral condition.