Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 1

Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)

Devanagari script

इति श्रीवामनपुराणे सप्तमो ऽध्यायः पुलस्त्य उवाच शार्ङ्गपाणिनमायान्तं दृष्ट्वाग्रे दानवेश्वरः परिभ्राम्य गदां वेगात् मूर्ध्नि साध्यमताडयत्

Transliteration

iti śrīvāmanapurāṇe saptamo 'dhyāyaḥ pulastya uvāca śārṅgapāṇinamāyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvāgre dānaveśvaraḥ paribhrāmya gadāṃ vegāt mūrdhni sādhyamatāḍayat

Translation

“Như vậy kết thúc chương bảy của Śrī Vāmana Purāṇa.” Pulastya nói: Thấy Śārṅgapāṇi tiến đến trước mặt, chúa tể loài Dānava liền xoay chùy thật nhanh và đánh (Ngài) vào đầu.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Vacana-prayojaka (वचन-प्रयोजक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• śrī-vāmanapurāṇe: in the Śrī Vāmana Purāṇa
• śrī-vāmanapurāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + vāmanapurāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/loc.), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्री-विशिष्टं वामनपुराणम्)

• saptamaḥ: seventh
• saptamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषणम्

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Title-noun
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śārṅgapāṇinam: Śārṅgapāṇi (Viṣṇu)
• śārṅgapāṇinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śārṅgapāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āyāntam: coming, approaching
• āyāntam: Karma (कर्म) / Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√yā + śatṛ (धातु-कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (शार्ङ्गपाणिनम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś + ktvā (धातु-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• agre: in front, ahead
• agre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-निष्पन्न सप्तमी-रूपेण अव्ययप्रयोगः; स्थानवाचक (locative adverb)

• dānava-īśvaraḥ: lord of the Dānavas
• dānava-īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: दानवानाम् ईश्वरः

• paribhrāmya: having swung/whirled
• paribhrāmya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-√bhram + lyap (धातु-कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having whirled/turned around’

• gadām: mace
• gadām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vegāt: from/with force, due to speed
• vegāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/abl.), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (cause)

• mūrdhni: on the head
• mūrdhni: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• sādhyam: Sādhya (a celestial being)
• sādhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (देवविशेषः/गणविशेषः)

• atāḍayat: struck, hit
• atāḍayat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√taḍ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आ-उपसर्गः

Speakers

• Pulastya → Nārada (explicit: ‘Pulastya uvāca’)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Śārṅgapāṇi/Nārāyaṇa)

Key Themes

• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Narrative framing (Pulastya–Nārada)
• Combat episode
• Vaishnavism

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even the divine may accept the appearance of being struck within līlā, allowing adharma to reveal itself fully; the narrative underscores that arrogance escalates into overt violence, which then invites righteous resolution.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Carita/Vamśānucarita-type episode within the Purāṇic narrative continuum; additionally, the verse contains a structural marker (adhyāya-colophon), useful for textual segmentation metadata.

What is the symbolic significance?

The mace-blow motif dramatizes the clash of ‘āsurī’ power (force, domination) against ‘daivī’ sovereignty (dharma-protection). Śārṅgapāṇi’s presence signals that the supreme protector engages directly when cosmic order is threatened.