Shloka 29

Origins of the Maruts — Origins of the Maruts Across the Manvantaras (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

तथा कुरुष्व मा तेषां सिद्धिर्भवतु सुन्दरि इत्येवमुक्ता शक्रेण पूतना रूपशालिनी

Transliteration

tathā kuruṣva mā teṣāṃ siddhirbhavatu sundari ityevamuktā śakreṇa pūtanā rūpaśālinī

Translation

“Do so, O fair one—let their success (siddhi) not come to fruition.” Thus addressed by Śakra, Pūtanā, endowed with a captivating form, (prepared to act).

Speakers

• Śakra (Indra) to Pūtanā; narrator voice reports her being addressed

Primary Deities

• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Siddhi as the fruit of tapas
• Use of beauty/illusion as a disruptive force
• Deva strategies against ascetic power

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘siddhi’ mean in this context—yogic powers or completion of a vow?

Here ‘siddhi’ primarily denotes the successful fruition of austerities—i.e., the completion that yields boons, spiritual potency, or desired outcomes. It can include yogic attainments, but the narrative emphasis is on preventing the tapas from ‘ripening’ into effective power.

Why is Pūtanā described as ‘rūpaśālinī’?

The epithet signals her method: disruption through alluring appearance, deception, or seduction—classic instruments of ‘vighna’ in Purāṇic storytelling, where beauty becomes a tactical force against concentrated ascetic discipline.

Does this Pūtanā correspond to the Pūtanā slain by Kṛṣṇa?

The name overlaps with the well-known Pūtanā of Kṛṣṇa-līlā, but Purāṇic corpora sometimes reuse names for similar demoness-types or present variant genealogies. In this chapter, the function is that of an Indra-deployed obstructer of tapas; identification with the Bhāgavata narrative should be made cautiously unless the surrounding text explicitly links them.