Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 67

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

Devanagari script

तपसा कर्शितं दीनं मलपङ्कजटाधरम् निःश्वासायासपरमं प्रथमे वयसि स्थितम्

Transliteration

tapasā karśitaṃ dīnaṃ malapaṅkajaṭādharam niḥśvāsāyāsaparamaṃ prathame vayasi sthitam

Translation

Ils le virent : amaigri par les austérités, d’un aspect pitoyable, portant des jaṭā emmêlées, souillées de crasse et de boue, accablé par un souffle haletant et l’épuisement; et pourtant établi dans le premier âge de la vie (la jeunesse).

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing the ascetic encountered at Badaryāśrama

Key Themes

• Power of tapas (austerity)
• Ascetic ideal and bodily hardship
• Youthful renunciation (early-life tapas)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How should ‘dīna’ be understood—does it criticize asceticism?

Here dīna describes outward appearance (frail, worn), not moral deficiency. Purāṇic style often juxtaposes a ‘pitiable’ body with extraordinary inner power to heighten the ascetic’s spiritual authority.

What does ‘prathame vayasi’ imply about the ascetic?

It indicates youth or early life-stage, stressing that the tapas is undertaken before worldly maturity—an intensification motif: severe renunciation is more striking when performed in youth rather than old age.

Why mention grime, mud, and matted locks (mala-paṅka-jaṭā)?

These are conventional markers of forest-ascetic life (vānaprastha/muni imagery). They signal withdrawal from social grooming norms and immersion in wilderness practice, reinforcing the ashrama’s sacral-ascetic atmosphere.