Vamana Purana — Sati's Death & Virabhadra, Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

ततो विवेश गणपो यज्ञमध्यं सुविस्तृतम् जुह्वाना ऋषयो यत्र हवींषि प्रवितन्वते

Transliteration

tato viveśa gaṇapo yajñamadhyaṃ suvistṛtam juhvānā ṛṣayo yatra havīṃṣi pravitanvate

Translation

随后，众伽那之主进入那广为铺陈的祭祀中央；其处诸仙（ṛṣi）正行火供，依仪奉献祭品之分。

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• viveśa: entered
• viveśa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-viś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• gaṇapaḥ: the leader of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• gaṇapaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular)

• yajña-madhyam: the middle of the sacrifice (sacrificial arena)
• yajña-madhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): ‘यज्ञस्य मध्यम्’

• su-vistṛtam: well-extended, very spacious
• su-vistṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vistṛta (कृदन्त; √stṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘विस्तृत’ with उपसर्ग/उपपद ‘सु-’ (well-)

• juhvānāḥ: offering (into the fire), sacrificing
• juhvānāḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), सम्बन्ध-अव्यय/देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: where)

• havīṃṣi: oblations
• havīṃṣi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• pravitanvate: they spread out/extend (the rite/offerings)
• pravitanvate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vi-tan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

Speakers

• Narratorial layer not specified in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada frame)

Primary Deities

• Gaṇapati (Gaṇeśa)
• Ṛṣis (ritual agents)

Key Themes

• Shaivism
• Vrata/Rituals
• Yajña (sacrificial liturgy)
• Conflict around ritual legitimacy

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual is not merely procedural; it exists within an ethical and devotional frame. The entrance of Gaṇapati into the yajña foregrounds the idea that divine sanction (and inner purity) governs the fruit of rites.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is narrative-legend material (vamśānucarita/īśānucarita style), illustrating the functioning (and disruption) of yajña within cosmic and moral order rather than creation cycles.

What is the symbolic significance?

The ‘expanded sacrifice’ (suvistṛta yajña) symbolizes elaborate religiosity; Gaṇapati’s crossing into its center suggests that the heart of ritual is ultimately subject to higher divine principles—removing or imposing ‘obstacles’ according to dharma.