Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 88

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

Devanagari script

स येव पुनरायाति वानरस्तात वेगवान् पूर्वं जटास्वेव बलाद्योन बद्धो ऽस्मि पादपे

Transliteration

sa yeva punarāyāti vānarastāta vegavān pūrvaṃ jaṭāsveva balādyona baddho 'smi pādape

Translation

That very monkey returns again, swift, O dear one. Formerly I was forcibly bound—indeed, even in the matted jata locks—upon a tree.

Speakers

• Narrator voice reporting a character’s speech; the ‘tāta’ indicates direct address (speaker likely the monkey or someone describing him; exact identification requires surrounding verses)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

Key Themes

• Bondage and release motif
• Ascetic markers (jaṭā) intersecting with narrative action
• Memory of prior event as etiological hint (why the place/person is significant)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is implied by being ‘bound in the jaṭā’ (matted locks)?

Jaṭā typically signifies an ascetic’s hair. Being ‘bound in the jaṭā’ suggests an encounter with an ascetic (or a figure adopting ascetic marks) where restraint is enacted through spiritual authority—an image common in Purāṇic storytelling to show the dominance of tapas (austerity) over physical strength.

Why mention a tree (pādapa) without naming it?

Generic landscape markers (tree, riverbank, grove) often function as narrative anchors in māhātmya sections. Even when unnamed, they indicate the event occurred within a sacralized micro-topography—useful for pilgrims who navigate by features as well as by toponyms.

Does this verse connect to a broader tīrtha-mahima purpose?

Yes. Such recollections frequently serve as etiological fragments explaining why a locale is ‘supuṇya’ or why a particular bathing-place/route is ritually potent—though the explicit linkage would be clearer with the surrounding verses.