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

«ثم لما بلغتُ هناك رآني الملك سُرَثَة (Suratha) ملكُ فيداربها (Vidarbha). وقد أضناه الهوى، فجاء إليّ وحدي متخذًا إيّاي ملجأه.»

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).