Vamana Purana — Origins of the Maruts, Shloka 32

Origins of the Maruts Across the Manvantaras (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

ददृशुस्ते नृपाः स्नातां ततश्चुक्षुभिरे मुने तेषां च प्राच्यवच्छुक्रं तत्पपौ जलचारिणी

Transliteration

dadṛśuste nṛpāḥ snātāṃ tataścukṣubhire mune teṣāṃ ca prācyavacchukraṃ tatpapau jalacāriṇī

Translation

Those kings saw her bathing; then, O sage, they became agitated. And their semen, as it flowed forth, was drunk by a water-roaming female creature.

Speakers

• Narrator to Muni (explicit vocative ‘mune’)

Key Themes

• Power of sacred waters and beings
• Sexual agitation as narrative catalyst
• Loss/transfer of vitality (śukra)
• Mythic biology of aquatic beings

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How should ‘cukṣubhire’ be understood here—anger, fear, or desire?

Given the immediate mention of śukra flowing forth, ‘cukṣubhire’ is best read as erotic agitation/perturbation rather than anger. Purāṇic diction often uses kṣubh- (‘to churn, be disturbed’) for intense inner stirring leading to loss of restraint.

What is the function of the ‘jalacāriṇī’ who drinks the śukra?

She acts as the narrative agent transferring or appropriating generative potency. Such motifs explain the origin/power of certain aquatic beings (or lineages) and also serve as a cautionary tale about sense-control even in ostensibly purifying contexts like tīrtha-snānā.

Does this imply a moral critique of the kings?

Yes. The episode frames royal status (‘nṛpāḥ’) as no safeguard against kāma and distraction. In tīrtha literature, the sacred setting heightens the ethical lesson: purity of place does not replace purity of mind (saṃyama).