Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 109

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

Devanagari script

ज्ञात्वाथत विश्वकर्माणं कामयामास कामिनी ततो ऽनु पर्वतश्रेष्ठे ख्याते कोलाहले कपिः

Transliteration

jñātvāthata viśvakarmāṇaṃ kāmayāmāsa kāminī tato 'nu parvataśreṣṭhe khyāte kolāhale kapiḥ

Translation

ثم إن المرأة المشتعلة بالهوى، بعدما عرفت فيشڤاكَرما (Viśvakarmā)، اشتهته. وبعد ذلك، على الجبل الفاضل المشهور باسم كولاهالا (Kolāhala)، حضر ذلك القرد (وأقبل).

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator continuing the account)

Primary Deities

• Viśvakarman

Key Themes

• Sacred geography embedded in narrative
• Etiological prelude to a tirtha’s fame
• Desire (kāma) as a narrative catalyst

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is ‘Kolāhala’ here a literal ‘tumult’ or a place-name?

In this context it functions as a toponym: ‘the mountain renowned as Kolāhala’ (khyāte kolāhale). Purāṇic geography frequently uses meaningful nouns as proper place-names, so the semantic echo (‘tumult’) may be secondary to the geographic identification.

Why is Viśvakarman mentioned in a tirtha-oriented chapter?

Tīrtha-māhātmya sections often weave mythic episodes into geography: a deity’s action, encounter, or boon becomes the explanatory backstory for why a place is sacred, named, or ritually efficacious.

Who is the ‘kapi’ (monkey) in this verse?

The verse gives only the designation kapiḥ. In Purāṇic narration this can be either a generic vanara figure or a specific character known from the surrounding passage; the immediate function is to mark the presence/agency of a vanara at Kolāhala, likely tied to the site’s later sanctity or naming. The precise identification depends on the adjoining verses.