Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

कूपान्तस्थः स तां वाणीं श्रुत्वा मातुर्निशाकरः प्राह प्रदत्ता पित्रा मे कूपोपरि शिला त्वियम्

Transliteration

kūpāntasthaḥ sa tāṃ vāṇīṃ śrutvā māturniśākaraḥ prāha pradattā pitrā me kūpopari śilā tviyam

Translation

કૂવાના તળમાં રહેલા નિશાકરે માતાની વાણી સાંભળી કહ્યું: ‘કૂવા ઉપરનો આ પથ્થર મારા પિતાએ મને આપ્યો હતો.’

Speakers

• Niśākara (from within the well) addressing his mother (outside)

Primary Deities

• None explicit

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-ākhyāna (etiological legend)
• Family recognition and identity
• Sacred topography centered on a well

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the well (kūpa) emphasized in a Purāṇic context?

In tīrtha-māhātmyas, a specific feature—well, pond, riverbank, tree—often becomes the anchor for sanctity. The narrative explains how that spot acquired fame, ritual relevance, or a name, turning local geography into sacred geography.

Does “Niśākara” here mean the Moon-god?

The word literally means “moon,” but in this passage it functions as a personal name within the story. Purāṇic narratives frequently use deity-epithets as human names, creating layered resonance without requiring the character to be the deity himself.

What is the narrative function of the ‘stone on the well’?

It serves as a concrete identifier and plot device: a physical marker tied to paternal authority and prior action, enabling recognition and advancing the revelation of identity from within the well.