Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 129

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Andhaka’s Challenge to Shiva

Devanagari script

ततो ऽपश्यत् सुतां तन्वीं घृताची शुभदर्शनाम् सापि तां मातरं दृष्ट्वा हृष्टाभूद्वरवर्णिनी

Transliteration

tato 'paśyat sutāṃ tanvīṃ ghṛtācī śubhadarśanām sāpi tāṃ mātaraṃ dṛṣṭvā hṛṣṭābhūdvaravarṇinī

Translation

Then Ghṛtācī saw her slender daughter, of auspicious appearance; and she too, seeing her mother, became delighted—the maiden of excellent complexion.

Speakers

• Narrator voice continuing the episode involving Ghṛtācī (Apsaras) and her family encounter.

Key Themes

• Family recognition motif within pilgrimage narrative
• Apsaras lore integrated into tīrtha-māhātmya
• Auspiciousness (śubha) and beauty as narrative markers

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does a tīrtha chapter include an Apsaras family encounter?

Sthāna-māhātmyas often embed local legends and celestial lineages to elevate a site’s sanctity. By showing Apsarases participating in events around the tīrtha, the text implies the place’s attraction and merit extend beyond human society into the celestial realm.

Do epithets like tanvī and vara-varṇinī carry theological meaning here?

Primarily they are kāvya-style markers of auspiciousness and narrative tone, but in Purāṇic discourse ‘śubha’ descriptors can also function as signals that the meeting is dharmically favorable and that the surrounding locale is spiritually charged.

Is any specific ritual act implied by this verse?

Not directly; it is a connective narrative moment (recognition and joy) that likely precedes or motivates subsequent actions—often a request, a boon, a revelation of the site’s origin-story, or guidance toward the Haṭakeśvara darśana.