Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

चित्राङ्गदामथाभ्येत्य पर्यपृच्छदनिष्ठुरम् कासि केन च कार्येण निर्जने स्थितवत्यसि

Transliteration

citrāṅgadāmathābhyetya paryapṛcchadaniṣṭhuram kāsi kena ca kāryeṇa nirjane sthitavatyasi

Translation

Alors Citrāṅgadā s’approcha d’elle et, avec douceur, l’interrogea sans rudesse : «Qui es-tu, et pour quelle raison demeures-tu en ce lieu solitaire ?»

Speakers

• Narrator (contextual) presenting Citrāṅgadā’s inquiry to an unnamed woman

Key Themes

• Tirtha-journey framing
• Encounter and identification motif
• Gentle speech (madhura-vākya) as dharmic conduct

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the detail ‘aniṣṭhuram’ (gently, not harshly) significant in Purāṇic narration?

Purāṇas often mark dharmic comportment through speech. A gentle inquiry signals proper conduct toward strangers—especially in sacred landscapes where visitors may be ascetics, pilgrims, or divine beings in disguise.

Does ‘nirjana’ indicate a specific sacred site here?

In this verse it functions as a narrative descriptor (‘lonely/remote place’). The named geography appears in the subsequent verses (Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa), which anchor the episode in a recognized tīrtha-region.

What narrative function does this question serve?

It introduces an identity-revelation sequence typical of tīrtha-māhātmya sections: a pilgrim or extraordinary figure is questioned, then discloses lineage, purpose, and the sanctity of the place.