Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 44

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

द्वावेव वर्धितौ बालौ संजातौ सप्तवार्षिकौ पित्रा च कृतनामानौ निशाकरदिवाकरौ

Transliteration

dvāveva vardhitau bālau saṃjātau saptavārṣikau pitrā ca kṛtanāmānau niśākaradivākarau

Translation

এভাবে পিতার দ্বারা লালিত দুই বালক সাত বছরে উপনীত হল। তখন পিতা তাদের নাম দিলেন—নিশাকর ও দিবাকর।

Speakers

• Narrator to listener (frame not explicit in the excerpt).

Key Themes

• Naming (nāma-karaṇa) motif
• Solar-lunar symbolism
• Twin motif in Purāṇic storytelling

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of the names Niśākara and Divākara?

They are epithets of the Moon and Sun, respectively. Purāṇic narratives often use such names to mark complementary qualities—cool/bright, night/day—suggesting balanced virtues or future roles in ritual and learning.

Why is the age ‘seven’ highlighted?

Seven is a culturally significant threshold for childhood development and for initiating education/discipline. In many traditions, the approach to formal saṃskāras and study is narrated around this age-range, preparing for rites like upanayana.

Does this imply astrological or cosmological teaching?

Indirectly. While the verse itself is biographical, solar-lunar naming commonly cues later dharma or calendrical associations (tithi, māsa, ritual timing), especially in a tirtha-mahātmya setting where ritual calendars matter.