Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 29

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

साब्रवीत् राक्षसपते मया स्थाप्य निजं शिशुम् कोशकारद्विजगृहे तस्यानीतः प्रभो सुतः

Transliteration

sābravīt rākṣasapate mayā sthāpya nijaṃ śiśum kośakāradvijagṛhe tasyānītaḥ prabho sutaḥ

Translation

{"has_teaching": true, "teaching_type": "dharma", "core_concept": "Brāhmaṇa-tejas and the ethical consequences of adharma (śāpa as karmic/normative sanction).", "teaching_summary": "A wrong act against dharma invites the reactive power of a realized brāhmaṇa; fear of śāpa functions as a narrative enforcement of moral order.", "vedantic_theme": "Karma-dharma: moral causality operating through adhikāra (spiritual potency) rather than brute force.", "practical_application": "Avoid harming the innocent and avoid provoking the righteous; treat sages/brāhmaṇas with reverence and restraint in speech and action."}

Speakers

• Ghaṭodara’s wife speaking to Ghaṭodara

Key Themes

• Adharma: substitution of infants (deception)
• Brāhmaṇa household as locus of sacred power
• Impending śāpa (curse) due to offense against a dvija

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who/what is “Kośakāra” in this verse?

Kośakāra appears as an identifying name/epithet for a brāhmaṇa (dvija). Etymologically it can mean “maker of kośa (sheath/container),” but in narrative usage it functions as a proper designation of the brāhmaṇa whose household is violated.

Why is the brāhmaṇa’s house emphasized rather than a forest or tīrtha?

The narrative stresses dharma through social-sacral space: a dvija-gṛha is treated as a protected sphere. Violating it triggers consequences comparable to offenses at a shrine, because brāhmaṇa tapas and knowledge are themselves ‘sacred geography’ in social form.

What ethical breach is central here?

The act combines deception (placing her own child) and abduction (bringing the brāhmaṇa’s son). In Purāṇic moral logic, harm to a brāhmaṇa family invites swift retribution through śāpa and the force of tapas.