Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

स दृष्ट्वा कन्यकायुग्मं कस्येदमिति चिन्तयन् प्रविवेश शुचिः स्नात्वा कालिन्द्या विमले जले

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā kanyakāyugmaṃ kasyedamiti cintayan praviveśa śuciḥ snātvā kālindyā vimale jale

Translation

Seeing the pair of maidens and pondering, “Whose are these?”, he entered the sacred precinct in purity. Having bathed and become cleansed in the spotless waters of the Kālindī, he proceeded.

Speakers

• Narrator describing Gālava’s actions.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Śrīkaṇṭha)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-snāna (ritual bathing)
• Ritual purity (śauca)
• Pilgrimage protocol
• Encounter with mysterious maidens (kanyakā-yugma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is bathing in the Kālindī emphasized before proceeding?

In tīrtha-literature, snāna is a prerequisite for effective worship and for entering a sacred precinct. The verse explicitly links bathing to becoming ‘śuciḥ’ (ritually purified), indicating that the geography (Kālindī) itself mediates sanctification.

Is Kālindī always the Yamunā, and what does the name imply?

Yes, Kālindī is a standard Purāṇic name for the Yamunā, associated with the Kalinda mountain. The name functions as a geographic marker and a sacral identifier, situating the episode within the Yamunā tīrtha-network.

Who might the ‘pair of maidens’ be in Purāṇic narrative patterns?

Such figures often serve as divine attendants, personifications of a tīrtha, or narrative catalysts leading the sage toward a hidden deity. The text here withholds identification, heightening the sense of a sacred mystery tied to the place.