Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

मयात्मा तस्य दत्तश्व सखीभिवार्यमाणया ततः शप्तास्मि तातेन वियुक्तास्मि च भूभुजा

Transliteration

mayātmā tasya dattaśva sakhībhivāryamāṇayā tataḥ śaptāsmi tātena viyuktāsmi ca bhūbhujā

Translation

সখীরা বাধা দিলেও আমি নিজেকে তাঁর কাছে সমর্পণ করেছিলাম। তারপর পিতা আমাকে অভিশাপ দিলেন, আর সেই রাজা থেকে আমি বিচ্ছিন্ন হলাম।

Speakers

• Same female narrator continuing her account to the listener in the chapter’s frame.

Key Themes

• Transgression and social restraint
• Paternal curse (śāpa) as karmic mechanism
• Separation and suffering leading to pilgrimage/atonement

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the force of “ātmā dattaḥ” in Purāṇic narrative diction?

It is a conventional euphemism indicating yielding oneself—often implying a breach of expected conduct (maryādā) or a socially disapproved union, which then invites a śāpa (curse) or other consequence.

Why does a father’s curse matter so much in Purāṇas?

Śāpa functions as a juridical-moral device: it externalizes dharmic violation into a binding fate that can usually be resolved only through tapas, divine grace, or tirtha-contact—thereby integrating ethics with sacred geography.

How does this verse prepare for the Godāvarī/Śrīkaṇṭha mention?

The separation and curse create the narrative necessity for seeking a higher remedy; the next verse shows the turn toward a sacred destination and deity-vision as the means of resolution.