Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 71

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

Devanagari script

मनोः पुत्रः प्रियो भ्राता इक्ष्वाकोः कथितं तव स चास्मै पूर्वचरितं सर्वं कथितवान् नृपः

Transliteration

manoḥ putraḥ priyo bhrātā ikṣvākoḥ kathitaṃ tava sa cāsmai pūrvacaritaṃ sarvaṃ kathitavān nṛpaḥ

Translation

मनु का पुत्र, इक्ष्वाकु का प्रिय भ्राता, तुम्हें बताया गया; और उस राजा ने उसे अपने पूर्वचरित का समस्त वृत्तांत कह सुनाया।

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Purāṇic dialogue (exact interlocutors not stated in the excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Dynastic memory and transmission
• Royal genealogy (vaṃśa)
• Authority of narrated precedent (pūrvacarita)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is being identified as “Manu’s son” and “Ikṣvāku’s beloved brother”?

The verse points to a figure described relationally (Manu’s son; Ikṣvāku’s dear brother). The excerpt does not supply the personal name, so identification depends on the surrounding chapter’s genealogy. Purāṇic style often introduces a character by lineage/kinship before naming or elaborating.

What does “pūrvacarita” imply in Purāṇic narration?

Pūrvacarita denotes a person’s earlier life-events and moral record, used as an explanatory key for present circumstances. In Purāṇas, it frequently functions as a causal bridge—why a king acts, suffers, or attains merit.

Why is a genealogical note placed amid narrative?

Purāṇas regularly embed itihāsa within vaṃśa (dynastic) frameworks to authenticate the story, connect it to known royal lines (here, Ikṣvāku’s), and situate dharma and kingship within inherited tradition.