Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

ततस्तं वीक्ष्य देवेशं ते उभे अपि कन्यके स्नापयेतां विधानेन पूजयेतामहर्निशम्

Transliteration

tatastaṃ vīkṣya deveśaṃ te ubhe api kanyake snāpayetāṃ vidhānena pūjayetāmaharniśam

Translation

Then, having seen that Lord of the gods, the two maidens bathed him according to proper rite and worshipped him day and night.

Speakers

• Narrative continuation by Daṇḍaka (implied).

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Pūjā-vidhi (ritual procedure)
• Abhiṣeka (ritual bathing)
• Nitya-sevā (continuous service)
• Merit of restoring worship

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is implied by 'snāpayetāṃ vidhānena'?

It implies abhiṣeka performed with prescribed order—purificatory bathing and attendant rites—rather than casual washing, marking the act as dharmic, textually sanctioned worship.

Why emphasize 'aharniśam' (day and night)?

Continuous worship signifies exceptional devotion and tapas-like discipline; in tīrtha-māhātmya literature it amplifies the resulting merit and the deity’s responsiveness.

How does this connect to the prior description of withered flowers?

The narrative contrast is deliberate: a neglected or unattended shrine is encountered, and the maidens’ proper bathing and worship functions as restoration, a common Purāṇic motif for accruing tīrtha- and pūjā-phala.