Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 22
Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma
मुद्गलस्य मुनेः पुत्रो ज्ञानविज्ञानपारगः कोशकार इति ख्यात आसीद् ब्रह्मंस्तपोरतः
mudgalasya muneḥ putro jñānavijñānapāragaḥ kośakāra iti khyāta āsīd brahmaṃstaporataḥ
[{"question": "What is the Purāṇic function of describing the wife as satī and pativratā?", "answer": "Such descriptors establish moral authority and auspiciousness for the household. In Purāṇic storytelling, the ethical stature of parents often frames the karmic or narrative significance of their offspring and the trials that follow."}, {"question": "Is ‘Satī’ here the goddess Satī (Dakṣa’s daughter) or a general epithet?", "answer": "Here it is an epithet meaning ‘chaste/faithful woman,’ not a direct reference to the goddess Satī. The context is domestic genealogy, reinforced by ‘Vātsyāyana-sutā’ and ‘pati-vratā.’"}, {"question": "Does the mention of Vātsyāyana indicate a known śāstra author?", "answer": "Not necessarily. ‘Vātsyāyana’ can denote a lineage/name shared by multiple figures across traditions. In this verse it functions primarily as a patronymic marker anchoring her family origin."}]
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
In Purāṇic idiom, jñāna often denotes doctrinal or essential knowledge, while vijñāna emphasizes realized discernment—knowledge that has become lived insight. Calling him jñāna-vijñāna-pāraga marks him as both learned and spiritually accomplished, setting a high contrast for what follows in the narrative.
Literally ‘maker of a kośa’ (sheath/case/covering). In Purāṇic naming, such epithets can preserve a remembered craft, a symbolic trait (one who ‘fashions coverings’), or a narrative marker. Here it functions primarily as a recognized name while also hinting at themes of ‘sheath’ and ‘inner knowledge’ that Purāṇas sometimes exploit.
No. This line is purely genealogical/character-introductory; the geography-centered material appears elsewhere in the text, but not in the provided śloka.