Vamana Purana — Jabali Bound by the Monkey, Shloka 31

Jabali Bound by the Monkey: Nandayanti’s Ordeal and the Yamuna–Hiranyavati Sacred Corridor

Devanagari script

विंशतिं यौवनस्थायी वीर्येण द्विगुणं ततः पञ्चवर्षशतान् बालो भोक्ष्यसे बन्धनं दृढम्

Transliteration

viṃśatiṃ yauvanasthāyī vīryeṇa dviguṇaṃ tataḥ pañcavarṣaśatān bālo bhokṣyase bandhanaṃ dṛḍham

Translation

Zwanzigtausend Jahre wirst du fest in der Jugend verbleiben; danach wird deine Kraft an Virilität sich verdoppeln. Dann wirst du, noch als Kind, fünfhundert Jahre lang eine feste, strenge Fesselung erdulden.

Word by Word

• viṃśatim: twenty (years)
• viṃśatim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (sg.); saṅkhyā-śabda (numeral)

• yauvana-sthāyī: remaining in youth
• yauvana-sthāyī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (sg.); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: yauvanasya sthāyī (one who lasts in youth)

• vīryeṇa: by (his) strength/virility
• vīryeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga (n.), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Ekavacana (sg.)

• dviguṇam: double (amount)
• dviguṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (sg.); dvigu-samāsa (numerical compound)

• tataḥ: thereafter/then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (kālārtha/sequence)

• pañca-varṣa-śatān: five-year hundreds (i.e., five hundred years)
• pañca-varṣa-śatān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Bahuvacana (pl.); dvigu-samāsa: pañcavarṣāṇāṃ śatāni (hundreds of five-years)

• bālaḥ: a boy/child
• bālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (sg.)

• bhokṣyase: you will experience/undergo
• bhokṣyase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (भुज् धातु)
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (Simple Future), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana (sg.), Ātmanepada

• bandhanam: bondage/imprisonment
• bandhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (sg.)

• dṛḍham: firm/strong
• dṛḍham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (sg.); viśeṣaṇa of bandhanam

Speakers

• Father’s prophetic speech to Jābālī (reported by the narrator).

Key Themes

• Purāṇic life-stage schematization
• Vīrya (potency) as a narrative driver
• Bandhana (bondage) as karmic consequence or plot catalyst
• Tension between youthfulness and enforced confinement

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How should we understand the shift from ‘youth’ to ‘bondage while still a child’?

Purāṇic prophecies can be non-linear in appearance because they compress multiple destined conditions. The phrase ‘bālo … bandhanaṃ’ may indicate a return to a childlike state (by curse, divine ordinance, or magical regression) or a narrative device emphasizing helplessness during confinement.

What is the significance of ‘vīryeṇa dviguṇam’ in Purāṇic motifs?

Doubling of vīrya often signals a turning point: heightened power can precipitate hubris, conflict, or divine intervention. It can also mark eligibility for major tapas, battles, or encounters that lead to bondage and eventual release.

Does ‘bandhanaṃ dṛḍham’ imply a specific myth (e.g., Bali bound by Vāmana)?

The wording resonates with well-known bondage motifs (including Bali’s restraint), but these verses do not name Bali, Vāmana, or a specific tirtha. Identification requires adjacent verses: who is bound, by whom, and where—details not present in the provided excerpt.