Vamana Purana — Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas, Shloka 48

Sukesha’s Boon, the Twelve Dharmas of Beings, and the Cosmography of the Seven Dvipas with the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

तस्मिन् निशाचर द्वीपे नरकाः सन्ति दारुणाः रौरवाद्यास्ततो रौद्रः पुष्करो घोरदर्शनः

Transliteration

tasmin niśācara dvīpe narakāḥ santi dāruṇāḥ rauravādyāstato raudraḥ puṣkaro ghoradarśanaḥ

Translation

Trên hòn đảo của những kẻ du hành trong đêm (niśācara), có các địa ngục ghê gớm—khởi đầu là Raurava. Vì thế Puṣkara được gọi là “Raudra” (hung bạo) và đáng sợ khi nhìn thấy.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निशाचर: O night-roamer (rākṣasa)
• निशाचर: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशा + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषण (address)

• द्वीपे: in the island
• द्वीपे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सन्ति: are / exist
• सन्ति: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दारुणाः: cruel, dreadful
• दारुणाः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• रौरव-आद्याः: beginning with Raurava (etc.)
• रौरव-आद्याः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौरव + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (‘beginning with Raurava’)

• ततः: there/then
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/क्रम (Relation/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘there/then/from there’

• रौद्रः: fierce
• रौद्रः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुष्करः: Puṣkara (name)
• पुष्करः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• घोर-दर्शनः: of terrible appearance
• घोर-दर्शनः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speakers

• Not specified in provided excerpt (continuation of the explanatory voice responding to Sukeśi is likely)

Key Themes

• Naraka classification
• Cosmography
• Moral causality (implicit)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

By mapping ‘hells’ into a named region, the Purāṇic text pedagogically reinforces that harmful actions generate structured consequences. The specificity (e.g., Raurava) functions as moral deterrence and ethical instruction.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is chiefly Sarga (world-structure: dvīpas and narakas). It is not Pratisarga (re-creation) nor Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita (genealogies/royal chronicles).

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Niśācara-dvīpa’ symbolizes a domain governed by tamas (darkness), where suffering-realms (narakas) proliferate. Calling Puṣkara ‘Raudra’ frames the locale as an embodiment of wrathful karmic return rather than a neutral geography.