Vamana Purana — Vishnu Slays Kalanemi, Shloka 39
Vishnu Enters the Deva–Asura War and Slays Kalanemi
तं दृष्ट्वा वर्द्धमानं रिपमतिबलिनं देवगन्धर्वमुख्याः सिद्धाःसाध्याश्विमुख्या भयतरलदृशः प्राद्रवन् दिक्षु सर्वे पोप्लूयन्तश्च दैत्या हरिममरगणैरर्चितं चारुमौलिं नानाशस्त्रास्त्रपातैर्विगलितयशसंचक्रुरुत्सिक्तदर्पाः
taṃ dṛṣṭvā varddhamānaṃ ripamatibalinaṃ devagandharvamukhyāḥ siddhāḥsādhyāśvimukhyā bhayataraladṛśaḥ prādravan dikṣu sarve poplūyantaśca daityā harimamaragaṇairarcitaṃ cārumauliṃ nānāśastrāstrapātairvigalitayaśasaṃcakrurutsiktadarpāḥ
[{"question": "Who is ‘Rāgiṇī’ and why is she also called ‘Jāyaśrī’?", "answer": "The verse presents a self-identification: a figure named Rāgiṇī, additionally styled Jāyaśrī (‘victory-splendour’). In Purāṇic narrative technique, such double naming often signals a personified quality (a form of Śrī/auspicious fortune) entering the story to announce a vow, boon, or turning point for the king addressed."}, {"question": "What is the significance of ‘pratijñā sādhu-sammatā’?", "answer": "It frames the forthcoming pledge as ethically legitimate: not merely a personal desire but a vow aligned with ‘sādhus’ (the righteous). This is a common Purāṇic device to authorize an action within dharma before its consequences unfold in the narrative."}, {"question": "Does this verse contribute to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s sacred geography?", "answer": "Not directly. It is narrative and ethical in tone, introducing a character and her vow; no tīrtha, river, or region is specified in the śloka itself."}]
{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The verse emphasizes the overwhelming, swelling momentum of the opposing force (“varddhamānaṃ ripum ati-balinaṃ”). Even when Viṣṇu is the ultimate protector, Purāṇic battle-narratives often depict initial panic among celestial hosts to heighten dramatic tension and to foreground Viṣṇu’s decisive intervention.
Hari’s ‘beautiful crown’ being worshipped by the immortals signals his sovereign status: even in warfare he remains the object of reverence. The image also contrasts devotional honor (arcana) with the Daityas’ weapon-shower, framing the conflict as dharma versus arrogant force.
It indicates an attempt to diminish Viṣṇu’s manifest splendor and reputation through sheer martial display. In Purāṇic idiom, such attempts are ultimately futile, and the phrase foreshadows the Daityas’ impending humiliation when divine power is revealed.