Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 74

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

Devanagari script

ऋतध्वजः सपुत्रस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा पृथिवीपतिम् प्रोवाच राजन्नेह्योहि करिष्यामि तव प्रियम्

Transliteration

ṛtadhvajaḥ saputrastu taṃ dṛṣṭvā pṛthivīpatim provāca rājannehyohi kariṣyāmi tava priyam

Translation

ثم إنَّ رِتَدْهْوَجَةَ مع ابنه، لما رأى ملكَ الأرض، خاطبه قائلاً: «أيها الملك، تعالَ إلى هنا—تعال! سأفعل ما يسرّك.»

Speakers

• Ṛtadhvaja speaking to a king (pṛthivīpati)

Key Themes

• Hospitality and royal reception
• Pilgrimage narrative framing
• Promise of assistance/boon

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who is ‘pṛthivīpati’ in this verse?

The term is an honorific meaning ‘lord of the earth,’ used for a reigning king. The verse depicts Ṛtadhvaja formally receiving and inviting the king, a common narrative device before disclosing a tīrtha’s origin or a boon.

Why does the text emphasize ‘sa-putraḥ’ (with his son)?

Mentioning the son signals dynastic continuity and witness-bearing: the promised act (‘I shall do what pleases you’) is framed as a family-backed commitment, often relevant in Purāṇic accounts of grants, releases, or tīrtha-foundations.

Is any deity implied here?

Not directly. In tīrtha-māhātmya passages, human dialogue frequently serves as the bridge into a sacred-geography explanation that later connects to a deity or a sanctifying event.