Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

तत्रागताथ राज्ञाहं दृष्टा वैदर्भकेण हि सुरथेन स कामार्तो मामेव शरणं गतः

Transliteration

tatrāgatātha rājñāhaṃ dṛṣṭā vaidarbhakeṇa hi surathena sa kāmārto māmeva śaraṇaṃ gataḥ

Translation

“Then, when I had come there, I was seen by King Suratha of Vidarbha. Afflicted by desire, he came to me alone as his refuge.”

Speakers

• A female narrator (unnamed in the given excerpt) recounts events to an interlocutor within the Adhyaya’s frame narrative.

Key Themes

• Kāma (desire) as a destabilizing force
• Seeking refuge (śaraṇāgati)
• Narrative setup for a tirtha-related episode

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is Suratha here, and why is he important in a tirtha-mahātmya context?

Suratha is presented as a Vidarbha king whose personal crisis (kāma-driven distress) becomes the narrative trigger that leads to a sacred-geographical resolution—typically a pilgrimage, vow, or encounter at a tirtha that transforms the situation.

What does “mām eva śaraṇaṃ gataḥ” imply beyond ordinary attraction?

The phrase uses the formal idiom of śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge), suggesting a plea for protection or fulfillment that carries moral and karmic consequences, not merely romantic pursuit.

Does this verse already identify the tirtha?

Not yet; it situates the characters and motive. The tirtha focus emerges more explicitly in the subsequent verses (notably the movement toward Śrīkaṇṭha and the Godāvarī).