Vamana Purana — Rudra's Wrath & Kalarupa, Shloka 52

Rudra’s Wrath at Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Iconography of Kālarūpa through the Zodiac

Devanagari script

सिहस्तु पर्वतारण्यदुर्गकन्दरभूमिषु वसते व्याधपल्लीषु गह्वरेषु गुहासु च

Transliteration

sihastu parvatāraṇyadurgakandarabhūmiṣu vasate vyādhapallīṣu gahvareṣu guhāsu ca

Translation

然而狮子居于山林之中，在险固难至之地与深谷峭壑；亦栖于猎人聚落，在幽深洼穴与洞窟之内。

Word by Word

• सिंहः: lion
• सिंहः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधानार्थक-निपात (particle: but)

• पर्वत: mountain
• पर्वत: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-समासाङ्ग

• अरण्य: forest
• अरण्य: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-समासाङ्ग

• दुर्ग: fort/difficult place
• दुर्ग: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-समासाङ्ग

• कन्दर: cave/gorge
• कन्दर: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-समासाङ्ग

• भूमिषु: in mountains, forests, forts, caves, and grounds
• भूमिषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पर्वत-अरण्य-दुर्ग-कन्दर-भूमि)

• वसते: dwells/lives
• वसते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• व्याध: hunter
• व्याध: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-समासाङ्ग

• पल्लीषु: in hunters' hamlets
• पल्लीषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्याधानां पल्ली)

• गह्वरेषु: in ravines/deep places
• गह्वरेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गह्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• गुहासु: in caves
• गुहासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (typical narrative frame; not explicit in provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Landscape Ecology (purāṇic description)
• Pilgrimage Terrain

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse underscores attentiveness to environment and terrain—practically relevant for pilgrims and narratively useful for situating sacred regions within recognizable wilderness typologies.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It is not sarga/pratisarga/vamśa/vamśānucarita/manvantara material; it is best categorized as kṣetra-varṇana (regional description) commonly embedded in purāṇic tīrtha sections.

What is the symbolic significance?

The lion, emblematic of power and danger, marks liminal and ‘difficult’ spaces (durga, kandara, guhā), implicitly cautioning that sacred landscapes include both auspicious and formidable zones.