Vamana Purana — Manifestation of Katyayani, Shloka 20

The Manifestation of Katyayani (Durga) and the Humbling of the Vindhya by Agastya

Devanagari script

श्रद्धा स्मृतिः पुष्टिरथो क्षमा च छाया च शक्तिः कमलालया च वृत्तिर्दया भ्रान्ति रथेह माया नमो ऽस्तु दैव्यै भवरूपिकायै

Transliteration

śraddhā smṛtiḥ puṣṭiratho kṣamā ca chāyā ca śaktiḥ kamalālayā ca vṛttirdayā bhrānti ratheha māyā namo 'stu daivyai bhavarūpikāyai

Translation

她是信心（Śraddhā）、忆念（Smṛti）、滋养（Puṣṭi），亦是忍耐（Kṣamā）。她是影（Chāyā）、神力（Śakti），亦是莲华女神吉祥天（Lakṣmī）之所居（Kamalālayā）。她是行持/职业（Vṛtti）、慈悲（Dayā）、迷乱（Bhrānti）；诚然，在此她即是幻力（Māyā）。礼敬那位神圣女神，其形相即“有与成”（Bhava）。

Word by Word

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्मृतिः: memory
• स्मृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुष्टिः: nourishment/prosperity
• पुष्टिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (and/then)

• क्षमा: forbearance/forgiveness
• क्षमा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• छाया: shadow
• छाया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• शक्तिः: power
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कमलालया: she whose abode is the lotus (Lakṣmī)
• कमलालया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल-आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कमलस्य आलयः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• वृत्तिः: conduct/function
• वृत्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दया: compassion
• दया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भ्रान्तिः: delusion/error
• भ्रान्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रथ: chariot
• रथ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पाठे 'रथेह' इति सन्ध्यन्तरम्

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• माया: illusion/power of delusion
• माया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (सम्बोधनार्थ/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नमोऽस्तु-प्रयोगे

• अस्तु: let there be
• अस्तु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• दैव्यै: to the divine goddess
• दैव्यै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवरूपिकायै: to her whose form is (that of) existence/worldly becoming
• भवरूपिकायै: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव-रूपिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवस्य रूपम् इव/भवरूपा)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic frame (likely Devas praising Devī; exact frame-speakers not explicit in given verses)

Primary Deities

• Devī (Śakti/Māyā)
• Lakṣmī (via 'kamalālayā')

Key Themes

• Śāktism
• Bhakti (stuti)
• Cosmic Māyā doctrine
• Virtues and mental faculties as divine manifestations
• Sectarian harmony (implicit inclusion of Lakṣmī within Devī praise)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ethically, the verse sacralizes virtues (faith, patience, compassion) as expressions of Devī, encouraging their cultivation as worship-in-action; philosophically, it teaches that even delusion (bhrānti) and worldly becoming (bhava) operate within the divine scope, inviting discernment rather than nihilism.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is theological-ethical instruction through stuti rather than sarga/pratisarga genealogies; it functions as dharma-upadeśa embedded in narrative, complementing the Purāṇa’s broader aims even if not one of the five marks in a strict cataloging sense.

What is the symbolic significance?

By pairing virtues with māyā and bhrānti, the text frames Śakti as both the luminous and obscuring principle—suggesting liberation comes through understanding her operations (māyā) and aligning with her sattvic expressions (śraddhā, kṣamā, dayā).