Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Counsel to Andhaka, Shloka 61

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Prahlada’s Counsel to Andhaka on Dharma

Devanagari script

बाणाः कार्तस्वरो हस्ती सूर्यशत्रुर्महोदरः अयःशुङ्कुः शिबिः शाल्वो वृषपर्वा विरोचनः

Transliteration

bāṇāḥ kārtasvaro hastī sūryaśatrurmahodaraḥ ayaḥśuṅkuḥ śibiḥ śālvo vṛṣaparvā virocanaḥ

Translation

[{"question": "Why are the gods described as ‘didṛkṣavaḥ’ (eager to see) rather than immediately intervening?", "answer": "The diction frames the episode as a cosmic spectacle with juridical overtones: the devas assemble as witnesses to a decisive confrontation already set in motion. In Purāṇic battle narratives, divine ‘witnessing’ often precedes intervention, underscoring that the conflict unfolds according to a larger dharmic/cosmic necessity."}, {"question": "What does ‘purogāḥ’ imply in ‘sasūryāgnipurogāḥ’?", "answer": "Purogāḥ (‘in front, leading’) marks Sūrya and Agni as prominent in the procession/assembly. Both are luminary/fire principles associated with visibility, revelation, and sacrificial order—apt for a scene emphasizing observation and the public manifestation of power."}, {"question": "Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?", "answer": "No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographic/tīrtha orientation, this verse is purely celestial and narrative, naming only deities and the ‘sky-region’ (ambaratala) without terrestrial toponyms."}]

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) continuing the roster; specific interlocutors not stated in the given excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Asura genealogical memory
• Intertextual links to other Purāṇic/Itihāsa cycles (Bāṇa, Śālva, Vṛṣaparvan, Virocana)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Are these names meant to be read as a single army under one leader?

Yes, the syntax continues the mustering motif: a coalition of daitya/asura champions assembling for a campaign against Śiva (Tryambaka). Purāṇic narration often compresses command structure and focuses on the prestige of named combatants.

Some names (e.g., Śibi) are famous as righteous kings—why appear in an asura list?

Name-reuse across traditions is common. A Purāṇic roster may preserve an older or alternate identification, or the name may refer to a different figure sharing the same appellation. Without additional qualifiers (lineage, epithet, deeds), the verse cannot securely equate this Śibi with the celebrated donor-king of other narratives.

What is the significance of Virocana and Vṛṣaparvan being included?

They anchor the episode in well-known daitya genealogies: Virocana (often linked to Prahlāda’s line) and Vṛṣaparvan (known from other mythic cycles) signal that the conflict is not local or minor but involves major asura houses.