Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 78

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

Devanagari script

स्यन्दनेनाश्वयुक्तेन गन्तुं समुपचक्रमे सप्तगोदावरं तीर्थं यत्र ताः कन्यका गताः

Transliteration

syandanenāśvayuktena gantuṃ samupacakrame saptagodāvaraṃ tīrthaṃ yatra tāḥ kanyakā gatāḥ

Translation

He set out in a horse-yoked chariot, bound for the tīrtha called Saptagodāvara, the place to which those maidens had gone.

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing the travel itinerary of Indradyumna’s party.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Shiva
• Ganga (as river-goddess archetype)

Key Themes

• Sacred geography as itinerary
• Tirtha Mahima
• Pilgrimage as pursuit of persons/events tied to a site

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is Saptagodāvara in Purāṇic geography?

Saptagodāvara is presented as a specific tīrtha whose identity is anchored in the Godāvarī river complex. The name suggests a septenary sacred configuration—commonly interpreted in Purāṇic tīrtha lists as seven streams/branches, seven fords, or a cluster of seven sanctified spots associated with the Godāvarī.

Why does the verse mention 'those maidens had gone there'?

It ties the geography to narrative causality: the party’s movement is not random but directed by prior events involving kanyakās. This is a typical Purāṇic technique—embedding mythic actors into a map-like itinerary so that place-names become memorable and ritually meaningful.

Does the chariot detail have ritual significance?

Primarily it signals royal status and urgency. In tīrtha sections, such details also contrast worldly conveyance with the spiritual goal: even kings travel as pilgrims, implying that tīrtha merit transcends social rank.