Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 140

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

Devanagari script

प्रहर्षमतुलं गत्वा उपविष्टा यथासुखम् तेषूपविष्टेषु तदा वानरोपनिमन्त्रिताः

Transliteration

praharṣamatulaṃ gatvā upaviṣṭā yathāsukham teṣūpaviṣṭeṣu tadā vānaropanimantritāḥ

Translation

Nachdem sie eine unvergleichliche Freude erlangt hatten, setzten sie sich nach Belieben nieder. Als sie Platz genommen hatten, versammelten sich daraufhin auch die vom Vānara (Gastgeber/Anführer) Eingeladenen.

Speakers

• Narrator continuing the description to the addressed king; the scene depicts an assembly being seated and further invitees arriving.

Key Themes

• Pilgrimage assembly (pariṣad)
• Hospitality protocol
• Auspicious joy at a sacred site

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘Vānara’ here—an actual monkey or a title?

The compound allows either reading: (1) a literal vānara figure (as Purāṇas sometimes include non-human communities in tīrtha narratives), or (2) a named/epithetical host. Without the surrounding verses, the safest scholarly reading is ‘a vānara (monkey/ape) who acted as inviter/organizer’.

Why does the text emphasize ‘yathāsukham’ (sitting at ease)?

It signals the transition from formal reception to settled discourse/ritual. In Purāṇic narrative technique, seating ‘at ease’ often precedes instruction, praise of the tīrtha, or the unfolding of a sacred episode.

What does ‘upanimantrita’ imply about the nature of the gathering?

It indicates an organized convocation rather than a chance meeting—suggesting a planned rite, audience, or celebratory assembly connected to the tīrtha’s sanctity.