Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

ततो ऽभूत् कामबाणार्त्तः सहसैवान्धको ऽसुरः तां दृष्ट्वा चारुसर्वाङ्गीं गिरिराजसुतां वने

Transliteration

tato 'bhūt kāmabāṇārttaḥ sahasaivāndhako 'suraḥ tāṃ dṛṣṭvā cārusarvāṅgīṃ girirājasutāṃ vane

Translation

Bấy giờ Andhaka, vị Asura, bỗng bị những mũi tên của Kāma làm đau đớn; vì khi thấy trong rừng con gái của Vua Núi—người có mọi chi thể đều mỹ lệ—hắn bị dục vọng giày vò.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालबोधक अव्यय

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कामबाणार्त्तः: afflicted by Cupid's arrows
• कामबाणार्त्तः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + बाण + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (कामस्य बाणैः आर्तः = afflicted by Cupid's arrows)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb: suddenly)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अन्धकः: Andhaka
• अन्धकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असुरः: the demon
• असुरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अन्धकः इत्यस्य विशेषण/अपपद

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (pronoun)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• चारुसर्वाङ्गीम्: beautiful-limbed
• चारुसर्वाङ्गीम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु + सर्वाङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (चारवः सर्वे अङ्गाः यस्याः)

• गिरिराजसुताम्: the Mountain-king's daughter
• गिरिराजसुताम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिराज + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरिराजस्य सुता)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic recitation voice) describing events (no direct speech in this verse).

Primary Deities

• Parvati (Girirajasuta)
• Kama (Manmatha)

Key Themes

• Kāma (desire) as a destabilizing force
• Adharma through lust and objectification
• Prelude to Andhaka’s downfall
• Śaiva narrative cycle (Pārvatī as the focal figure)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shringara", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who is ‘girirājasutā’ in this context, and why is she central to the Andhaka episode?

‘Girirājasutā’ (“daughter of the mountain-king”) is a standard epithet of Pārvatī (daughter of Himālaya). In the Andhaka cycle, his transgressive desire toward Pārvatī becomes the moral and narrative trigger for his confrontation with Śiva and eventual destruction.

What does ‘kāmabāṇa’ signify—literal arrows or a metaphor?

It is a conventional poetic metaphor: Kāma’s ‘arrows’ represent the sudden, piercing onset of erotic obsession that overwhelms discernment (viveka). Purāṇic narration often frames such desire as an externalized force to highlight how passion can seize even powerful beings.

Is any specific pilgrimage geography indicated here?

No. The verse only says ‘vane’ (in a forest) without naming a tirtha, river, or sacred site. The geography is narrative-generic at this point.