Vamana Purana — Sati's Death & Virabhadra, Shloka 26

Sati’s Death and the Assault on Daksha’s Sacrifice: Virabhadra versus the Devas

Devanagari script

ततश्चतुर्भुजं दृष्ट्वा धर्मराजो गणेश्वरम् तस्थावष्टभुनजो भूत्वा नानायुधधरो ऽव्ययः

Transliteration

tataścaturbhujaṃ dṛṣṭvā dharmarājo gaṇeśvaram tasthāvaṣṭabhunajo bhūtvā nānāyudhadharo 'vyayaḥ

Translation

随后，阎摩法王见伽内湿伐罗具四臂，便稳立不动，化为八臂之身；那不朽者执持种种兵器。

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'then/thereupon'

• catur-bhujam: four-armed
• catur-bhujam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास ('four-armed'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; gaṇeśvaram इति विशेषण

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त: 'having seen'

• dharmarājaḥ: Dharmarāja (Yama)
• dharmarājaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: 'Dharma-king' = Yama); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gaṇeśvaram: Gaṇeśvara
• gaṇeśvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tasthau: stood/remained
• tasthau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aṣṭa-bhujaḥ: eight-armed
• aṣṭa-bhujaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास ('eight-armed'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; dharmarājaḥ इति विशेषण

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु) (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त: 'having become'

• nānā-āyudha-dharaḥ: bearing various weapons
• nānā-āyudha-dharaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'weapon-bearing', with nānā 'various'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; dharmarājaḥ इति विशेषण

• avyayaḥ: imperishable/unchanging
• avyayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; dharmarājaḥ इति विशेषण

Speakers

• Not specified in input (likely within the Purāṇic narrative frame; commonly Pulastya → Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa)

Primary Deities

• Dharmarāja (Dharma/Yama aspect)
• Gaṇeśvara (Gaṇeśa / gaṇa-leader)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Divine theophany (multi-armed forms)
• Balance of power
• Cosmic order

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is portrayed as unwavering and adaptive: when confronted by intensified force, it does not collapse but manifests greater capacity to uphold order.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Again, it belongs to carita (episodic narrative). While not one of the strict cosmological lakṣaṇas, it supports purāṇic instruction by dramatizing the resilience of dharma.

What is the symbolic significance?

The escalation from four arms to eight arms symbolizes dharma’s comprehensive jurisdiction—many ‘weapons’ as metaphors for diverse instruments of justice, restraint, and correction; ‘avyaya’ underscores dharma’s indestructibility.