Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 24

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच कन्दर्पो हर्षतनयो यो ऽसौ कामो निगद्यते स शङ्करेण संदग्धो ह्यनङ्गत्वमुपागतः

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca kandarpo harṣatanayo yo 'sau kāmo nigadyate sa śaṅkareṇa saṃdagdho hyanaṅgatvamupāgataḥ

Translation

پلستیہ نے کہا—ہرش کا بیٹا کندرپ، جسے ‘کام’ کہا جاتا ہے، شنکر نے اسے جلا دیا؛ چنانچہ وہ ‘اَنَنگتْو’ (بے جسم حالت) کو پہنچ گیا۔

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कन्दर्पः: Kandarpa (Kāma)
• कन्दर्पः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हर्षतनयः: son of Harṣa
• हर्षतनयः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्षतनय (प्रातिपदिक: हर्ष+तनय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हर्षस्य तनयः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• कामः: Kāma (desire-god)
• कामः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निगद्यते: is called / is said
• निगद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive) उपसर्ग: नि-

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शङ्करेण: by Śaṅkara
• शङ्करेण: Karana (करण/Instrument-Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संदग्धः: burnt
• संदग्धः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; PPP predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्-

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-सूचक

• अनङ्गत्वम्: bodilessness
• अनङ्गत्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनङ्गत्व (प्रातिपदिक: अनङ्ग+त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपागतः: has attained
• उपागतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: उप-

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Kāma (Kandarpa/Manmatha)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Mythic causation (aetiology of a divine epithet)
• Control of desire through ascetic power (tapas)
• Sectarian harmony (Shaiva episode narrated within a Vishnu-linked frame)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The episode teaches mastery over kāma: unchecked desire disrupts spiritual purpose, while tapas and divine discipline can transform it from a gross impulse into a restrained, subtle principle.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Devatānucarita: a deed/attribute-account of a deity (Kāma) and the action of another deity (Śiva) that establishes a well-known epithet.

What is the symbolic significance?

Śiva burning Kāma symbolizes the incineration of desire by yogic fire; ‘Anaṅga’ implies desire’s persistence as an intangible force—subtle, not eliminated merely by destroying form.