Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 40

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

तं क्षिप्तमात्रं जग्राह कोशकारः स्वकं सुतम् सा चाभ्येत्य ग्रहीतुं स्वं नाशकद् राक्षसी सुतम्

Transliteration

taṃ kṣiptamātraṃ jagrāha kośakāraḥ svakaṃ sutam sā cābhyetya grahītuṃ svaṃ nāśakad rākṣasī sutam

Translation

{"scene_description": "A royal figure (Raghu) offers a ceremonial umbrella; Nṛga presents sandals; radiant Bṛhaspati offers a kamaṇḍalu to the youthful Vāmana, who stands modestly as a brahmacārin.", "primary_figures": ["Vāmana (brahmacārin Viṣṇu)", "King Raghu", "King Nṛga", "Bṛhaspati", "attendant sages"], "setting": "Hermitage courtyard with ritual implements; a hint of royal retinue kept subdued to emphasize humility.", "color_palette": ["gold", "white", "saffron", "deep blue (Vāmana aura)", "earth brown"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, gold-leaf umbrella canopy, Bṛhaspati with radiant golden complexion offering kamaṇḍalu, Vāmana with blue-tinged halo, Raghu and Nṛga in regal yet humble posture, ornate temple arch framing.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastel courtly figures entering a quiet āśrama, Raghu holding umbrella, Nṛga with sandals, Bṛhaspati offering waterpot, Vāmana serene and small, delicate landscape and gentle shading.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines, stylized umbrella and kamaṇḍalu prominent, Bṛhaspati luminous, Vāmana centered, kings flanking with respectful añjali, temple-wall symmetry.", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll scene, clear narrative: three donors with distinct items (chatra, upānad, kamaṇḍalu), Vāmana as small brahmacārin, patterned borders, flat natural dyes and rhythmic composition."}

Word by Word

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Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing events; direct interlocutors not explicit in the verse.

Key Themes

• Protection of offspring
• Conflict between human householders and rākṣasa beings
• Moral tension in local legend
• Tīrtha-mahātmya narrative frame (implied by chapter context)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who is the ‘kośakāra’ here, and why is that detail important?

Kośakāra denotes an artisan—commonly a weaver or one who works with cocoons/silk. Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often include non-royal social types (artisans, householders) to show that dharma and divine protection are not limited to kings or sages.

What is the narrative force of the Rākṣasī being unable to seize the child?

The phrasing highlights a sudden reversal: the demoness, typically powerful in such tales, is checked. In tīrtha-mahātmya settings this often foreshadows an unseen merit (puṇya) or protective power associated with the place or with the righteous conduct of the human characters.

Is any sacred geography identifiable from this verse alone?

No. This śloka contains no explicit toponyms. Any geographical identification must come from surrounding verses in Adhyāya 64 (which, in the Vāmana Purāṇa, commonly situate the story within a named tīrtha/region).