Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

ततोम्बरतलाद् वृक्षं निपतन्तं यदृच्छया ददृशुः सर्वभूतानि स्तावराणि चराणि च

Transliteration

tatombaratalād vṛkṣaṃ nipatantaṃ yadṛcchayā dadṛśuḥ sarvabhūtāni stāvarāṇi carāṇi ca

Translation

Then, by chance, all beings—both the immobile and the mobile—beheld a tree falling down from the surface of the sky.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing events to the listening interlocutor (contextually within Pulastya–Nārada style Saromāhātmya narration).

Key Themes

• Portent/omen (nimitta)
• Cosmic wonder (adbhuta)
• Tīrtha-mahātmya narrative framing

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is a ‘tree falling from the sky’ significant in Purāṇic narrative style?

Such adbhuta (marvel) imagery functions as a nimitta (omen) marking a transition in the story—often signaling impending misfortune, divine intervention, or the revelation of a prior curse/boon. The text emphasizes universal perception (‘all beings’) to heighten the portent’s cosmic scope.

What is implied by ‘sthāvara’ and ‘cara’ seeing the event?

The pair ‘sthāvara–cara’ is a conventional totalizing expression meaning the entire created order. It underscores that the event is not private but cosmically public—an omen affecting the world-order (loka-dharma) rather than a local accident.

Does this verse itself identify a tīrtha or geographic marker?

No. The verse is descriptive and omenic; geographic specificity typically appears in adjacent verses of the Saromāhātmya where tīrthas, rivers, or lakes are named and their merits explained.