Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 105

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

Devanagari script

यदा घृताच्यां तनयं जनिष्यसि महाबलम् इत्येवमुक्ताः संहृष्टः स तदा कपिकुञ्जरः

Transliteration

yadā ghṛtācyāṃ tanayaṃ janiṣyasi mahābalam ityevamuktāḥ saṃhṛṣṭaḥ sa tadā kapikuñjaraḥ

Translation

যখন তাকে এভাবে বলা হল— “তুমি ঘৃতাচীর গর্ভে মহাবলবান পুত্র উৎপন্ন করবে”— তখন সেই গজসম কপি আনন্দে উৎফুল্ল হল।

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator continuing the episode; implied dialogue addressed to the kapi)

Primary Deities

• (Implicit) Pitṛs (ancestral deities)
• (Implicit) Devas

Key Themes

• Progeny and destiny (putra-prāpti)
• Apsaras–hero unions in Purāṇic narrative
• Auspicious prediction as narrative catalyst

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is Ghṛtācī in Purāṇic literature, and why is her mention significant here?

Ghṛtācī is an apsaras (celestial nymph) who appears across Purāṇas and epics as a figure through whom extraordinary births occur. Her presence typically signals a semi-divine lineage and a narrative turning point (here, the promise of a mighty son).

What does the epithet “kapikuñjara” convey?

It is a poetic compound meaning “elephant-like monkey,” emphasizing immense size, strength, and heroic capacity—often used to mark a monkey-hero as exceptional among “plavatām” (leapers/jumpers).

Is this verse directly teaching tīrtha-mahima?

Indirectly. In tīrtha sections, such episodes often function as embedded itihāsa: a story that motivates or sanctifies later actions (such as bathing, worship, or travel) connected to a sacred river or site.