Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 114

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

Devanagari script

तृप्ताः समाद्रवन् सर्वे देवायतनमुत्तमम् तुरङ्गखुरनिर्घोषं श्रुत्वा ता योषितां वराः

Transliteration

tṛptāḥ samādravan sarve devāyatanamuttamam turaṅgakhuranirghoṣaṃ śrutvā tā yoṣitāṃ varāḥ

Translation

Satisfechos, todos corrieron hacia el templo más excelente. Al oír el resonante estrépito de los cascos de los caballos, aquellas mujeres preeminentes dirigieron su atención hacia ello.

Speakers

• Narrative voice (contextual Purāṇic narrator) describing arrival at a shrine and the response of women present (speaker not explicit in the given excerpt).

Key Themes

• Approach to a shrine (devāyatana-prāpti)
• Sound imagery (khura-nirghoṣa) as narrative signal of arrival
• Community presence at sacred sites (yoṣitāṃ varāḥ)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does devāyatana imply in Purāṇic tirtha literature?

Devāyatana denotes a consecrated locus—temple, shrine, or deity-abode—often functioning as the narrative focal point of a tirtha. Even when unnamed in a verse, it typically anchors the subsequent description of the site’s deity, rites, and merits.

Why highlight the sound of hooves (khura-nirghoṣa)?

It is a conventional arrival-marker: the audible sign of a party approaching a sacred precinct. In māhātmya narratives, such sensory cues transition the scene from travel through landscape to encounter with the shrine and its attendants or residents.

Who are the ‘foremost among women’ (yoṣitāṃ varāḥ) likely to be?

Within temple-arrival scenes, this phrase commonly refers to women associated with the precinct—local residents, devotees, or attendants—whose attention is drawn to the newcomers, setting up hospitality, inquiry, or the next narrative exchange.