Vamana Purana — Rudra's Wrath & Kalarupa, Shloka 60

Rudra’s Wrath at Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Iconography of Kālarūpa through the Zodiac

Devanagari script

लक्षणा गदितास्तुभ्यं मेषादीनां महामुने न कस्यचित् त्वयाख्येयं गुह्यमेतत्पुरातनम्

Transliteration

lakṣaṇā gaditāstubhyaṃ meṣādīnāṃ mahāmune na kasyacit tvayākhyeyaṃ guhyametatpurātanam

Translation

O dakilang muni, naipahayag na sa iyo ang mga katangian ng Mesha (Aries) at ng iba pang mga tanda. Ang sinaunang lihim na ito ay hindi mo dapat ibunyag sa kung sinu-sino lamang.

Word by Word

• lakṣaṇāḥ: characteristics, marks
• lakṣaṇāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• gaditāḥ: have been spoken/told
• gaditāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gad (धातु) → gadita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे (passive sense: 'have been told')

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th case, dative), एकवचन

• meṣa-ādīnām: of (the signs) beginning with Aries
• meṣa-ādīnām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: meṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (ādi-समास/प्रयोग: 'beginning with')

• mahā-mune: O great sage
• mahā-mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahān muniḥ)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kasyacit: to anyone / of anyone
• kasyacit: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/सप्तमी एकवचन (genitive/locative sg; here: dative-like sense 'to anyone' via context), अनिश्चित (indefinite)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd case, instrumental), एकवचन

• ākhyeyam: to be disclosed/told
• ākhyeyam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-khyā (धातु) → ākhyeya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be told'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• guhyam: secret
• guhyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• purātanam: ancient
• purātanam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher voice to a sage-disciple (exact names not present in the verse excerpt)

Key Themes

• Esoteric instruction
• Initiatory secrecy
• Dharma of responsible speech

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Knowledge—especially technical or sacred knowledge—is to be transmitted with discernment. The verse teaches restraint (saṃyama) in speech and the ethics of instruction: not every teaching is fit for every audience.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is not a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit (sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita). It functions as ancillary didactic material often embedded within Purāṇic narration—supporting dharma and traditional sciences (upāṅga-like content) rather than cosmic genealogy.

What is the symbolic significance?

“Meṣa and the rest” signals ordered time/karma (astral or calendrical order). Declaring it ‘guhya’ symbolizes that time-knowledge can be spiritually potent and socially consequential, hence guarded to prevent misuse.