Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 19

Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti

Devanagari script

इत्युक्ताः कम्पमानास्ते जग्मुर्गृह्योर्वशीं दिवम् सहस्राक्षाय तां प्रादाद् रूपयौवनशालिनीम्

Transliteration

ityuktāḥ kampamānāste jagmurgṛhyorvaśīṃ divam sahasrākṣāya tāṃ prādād rūpayauvanaśālinīm

Translation

二人既受此言，战栗而去，自天界迎来天女乌尔瓦希；并将那具足容色与青春的少女献与千眼者（因陀罗）。

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle: thus)

• उक्ताः: having been told
• उक्ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘having been told/addressed’

• कम्पमानाः: trembling
• कम्पमानाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्प् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदी कृदन्त (present middle participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘trembling’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; they

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्ष), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘went’

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/ल्यप्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गृह् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-अर्थे अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having taken/seized’

• उर्वशीम्: Urvāśī
• उर्वशीम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of ‘गृह्य’—Urvāśī

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative—heaven (as destination)

• सहस्र-अक्षाय: to the thousand-eyed (Indra)
• सहस्र-अक्षाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: ‘सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य सः’ (thousand-eyed = Indra); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; Dative—unto Sahasrākṣa

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; her (Urvāśī)

• प्रादात्: gave
• प्रादात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘gave’

• रूप-यौवन-शालिनीम्: endowed with beauty and youth
• रूप-यौवन-शालिनीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक) + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘रूपेण यौवनेन च शालिनी’ (possessing beauty and youth); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifies ‘ताम्’

Speakers

• Narrative layer not explicit in the given verses (commonly framed as Pulastya → Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa); immediate voice: narrator describing events

Primary Deities

• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)

Key Themes

• Deva-court narratives
• Apsaras motif
• Power and desire in celestial polity
• Transmission of notable deeds

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse highlights how fear/awe operates even among exalted beings and how celestial power structures mobilize resources (here, an apsaras) to address situations. It implicitly warns that beauty and desire can become instruments within political or cosmic maneuvering.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Primarily within Vamśānucarita/Caritāni-type narrative material (accounts of notable events and actors), rather than sarga/pratisarga. It is episodic storytelling about divine actors and their actions.

What is the symbolic significance?

Urvaśī often symbolizes enchantment (mohana) and the potency of kāma in disrupting or redirecting aims. Presenting her to Indra can signify the instrumentalization of desire/beauty within dharmic or adharmic strategies, depending on the surrounding episode.