Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 96

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

Devanagari script

न चोन्मोचयितुं वृक्षाच्छक्नुयामो ऽपि यत्नतः तदनेन नरेन्द्रेण त्रिधा कृत्वा तु शाखिनः

Transliteration

na conmocayituṃ vṛkṣācchaknuyāmo 'pi yatnataḥ tadanena narendreṇa tridhā kṛtvā tu śākhinaḥ

Translation

“And we are not able to free him from the tree, even with effort. Therefore, by this king of men, having cut the tree’s branch into three parts…”

Speakers

• The same sage continuing to address the Vānarapati; the ‘narendra’ is referenced as an agent in the solution.

Key Themes

• Human agency in resolving sacred dilemmas
• Ritualized cutting/division (tridhā)
• Narrative causation for later sacred markers

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘narendra’ and why is he important here?

The ‘narendra’ (king) is introduced as the practical agent capable of an extraordinary act—dividing the tree/branch—when ordinary effort fails. In tirtha-legends, royal intervention often becomes the etiological reason a site gains a name, a shrine, or a ritual rule.

What does ‘tridhā kṛtvā’ imply—cutting the whole tree or a branch?

The grammar points to dividing the ‘śākhin’ (the branch-bearing tree) and contextually the ‘śākhā’ (branch) in the next verse. It suggests a specific branch (or major limb) is cut into three to enable release, rather than felling the entire banyan.

Is there a symbolic meaning to dividing into three?

Often ‘three’ resonates with triads (three worlds, three fires, three guṇas). Here it is primarily a narrative device, but surrounding context may connect the three parts to three locations, three tirthas, or three ritual stations established from the severed pieces.