Vamana Purana — Sati's Death & Virabhadra, Shloka 37

Sati’s Death and the Assault on Daksha’s Sacrifice: Virabhadra versus the Devas

Devanagari script

ते शस्त्रवर्षमतुलं गणेशाय समुत्सृजन् गणेशो ऽपि वरास्त्रैस्तान् प्रचिच्छेद बिभेद च

Transliteration

te śastravarṣamatulaṃ gaṇeśāya samutsṛjan gaṇeśo 'pi varāstraistān praciccheda bibheda ca

Translation

Chúng trút xuống Gaṇeśa một cơn mưa vũ khí vô song. Gaṇeśa cũng dùng những phi tiễn thượng hạng mà chém đứt và nghiền tan bọn chúng.

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• śastra-varṣam: a shower of weapons
• śastra-varṣam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘rain/shower of weapons’)

• atulam: unequalled
• atulam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śastra-varṣam)

• gaṇeśāya: to Gaṇeśa
• gaṇeśāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• samutsṛjan: they hurled/let loose
• samutsṛjan: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ut-sṛj (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, तृतीय-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• gaṇeśaḥ: Gaṇeśa
• gaṇeśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• vara-astraiḥ: with excellent missiles
• vara-astraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (‘excellent weapons/missiles’)

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• praciccheda: cut down/sliced
• praciccheda: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-chid (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, तृतीय-पुरुष, एकवचन

• bibheda: split/pierced
• bibheda: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhid (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, तृतीय-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speakers

• Narratorial layer not specified in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa frame)

Primary Deities

• Gaṇeśa
• Vīrabhadra (contextual)
• Śiva (contextual)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Daitya-Deva Conflict
• Protection/obstruction of ritual (yajña)
• Divine warfare

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Power (śakti) used in defense of dharma is portrayed as disciplined and purposeful: Gaṇeśa counters violence not with chaos but with mastery (astra-jaya), implying that righteous order can withstand overwhelming force.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita / Īśānucarita-type narrative material (accounts of divine figures and their deeds) rather than sarga/pratisarga; it functions as exemplum within the Purāṇic historical-legendary mode.

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘weapon-rain’ symbolizes the deluge of disruptive impulses that assail ritual order; Gaṇeśa, lord of gaṇas and remover/controller of obstacles, represents the principle that restores structure by ‘cutting through’ (praciccheda) and ‘breaking’ (bibheda) obstruction.