Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

तावेवाहार्य विरलौ पीवरौ मग्नचूचुकौ राजेते ऽस्यः कुचौ पीनौ सज्जनावि संहतौ

Transliteration

tāvevāhārya viralau pīvarau magnacūcukau rājete 'syaḥ kucau pīnau sajjanāvi saṃhatau

Translation

她的双乳——其美罕有可比——丰盈而乳头微敛，光彩照人：坚实饱满，紧密相依，如一对精巧相合的饰物。

Word by Word

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.)/Napुंसaka (n.) dual form, Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle; emphasis)

• āhārya: charming / attractive
• āhārya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āhārya (प्रातिपदिक; from √hṛ with ā-; ‘to be brought/attractive’)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.); qualifying kucau

• viralau: well-spaced / not crowded
• viralau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

• pīvarau: full, plump
• pīvarau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

• magna-cūcukau: with nipples sunk/embedded
• magna-cūcukau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: magna + cūcuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

• rājete: shine / appear splendid
• rājete: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rāj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Dvivacana (du.), Ātmanepada

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (Gen. 6), Ekavacana (sg.)

• kucau: the two breasts
• kucau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuca (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

• pīnau: firm, full
• pīnau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīna (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

• sajjanau: like good men / well-formed
• sajjanau: Upamāna/Viśeṣaṇa (उपमान/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sajjana (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (particle of comparison)

• saṃhatau: compact, close-set
• saṃhatau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃhata (प्रातिपदik; past participial adj.)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nom. 1), Dvivacana (du.)

Speakers

• Not explicit in the provided excerpt (likely within Pulastya–Nārada narrative frame
• but not verifiable from these verses alone)

Key Themes

• Kāvya-style description
• Śarīra/aṅga-varṇana
• Aesthetic imagery

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The passage functions primarily as kāvya (aesthetic description) rather than direct dharma-instruction; it illustrates the Purāṇic habit of embedding vivid worldly imagery within a larger sacred narrative, reminding the listener of the captivating power of rūpa (form) that can both delight and distract.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It does not directly map onto the five core Purāṇic marks (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It is best treated as ancillary narrative ornamentation (ākhyāna/kathā-aṅga) within a broader māhātmya or story cycle.

What is the symbolic significance?

The compact, radiant depiction emphasizes śrī (beauty/fortune) and youthful vitality. In Purāṇic storytelling such descriptions can signal auspiciousness and narrative importance of the figure being described, even when no explicit deity-symbolism is stated.