Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 107

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

Devanagari script

जग्मुर्हृष्टा रथेभ्यस्ते घृताची दिवमुत्पतत् तामन्वेव महावेगः स कपिः प्लवतां वरः

Transliteration

jagmurhṛṣṭā rathebhyaste ghṛtācī divamutpatat tāmanveva mahāvegaḥ sa kapiḥ plavatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

انطلقوا فرحين من مركباتهم؛ وارتفعت غِرْتاتشي إلى السماء. وتبعها في الحال ذلك القرد—ذو اندفاع عظيم، وخير القافزين—مسرعًا وراءها.

Speakers

• Narrator describing the transition: the group departs; Ghṛtācī ascends; the kapi follows

Primary Deities

• Ghṛtācī (apsaras; celestial being)

Key Themes

• Apsaras and celestial ascent
• Extraordinary mobility (mahāvega, plavatām varaḥ)
• Narrative linkage between earthly tīrtha-space and heavenly realm

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the narrative function of Ghṛtācī’s ascent to heaven here?

It marks her as a celestial being whose movements transcend human geography, and it propels the plot toward a union or encounter that will produce the foretold mighty offspring.

Why emphasize “plavatām varaḥ” and “mahāvega”?

These epithets establish the kapi as uniquely capable of pursuing a heavenly apsaras—highlighting superhuman vigor and setting up the plausibility of crossing realms.

How does this relate to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographic emphasis?

Even within geography-centered tīrtha sections, the text often embeds mythic episodes that connect a terrestrial sacred landscape (river-bathing, rites) with cosmographic layers (heaven), thereby magnifying the tīrtha’s sanctity and narrative prestige.