Vamana Purana — Akhanda Ekadashi Vrata, Shloka 60
Akhaṇḍa-Ekādaśī Vrata and the Vaiṣṇava Protective Hymn; Prelude to the Kātyāyanī–Mahiṣāsura Narrative
ततस्तु वसतस्तस्य श्यामा सा सुषुवे मुने अजीजनत् सुतं शुभ्रं महिषं कामरूपिणम्
tatastu vasatastasya śyāmā sā suṣuve mune ajījanat sutaṃ śubhraṃ mahiṣaṃ kāmarūpiṇam
Kemudian, ketika ia tinggal di sana, wahai resi, Śyāmā melahirkan; ia melahirkan seorang putra yang cemerlang—seorang makhluk berwujud kerbau yang luar biasa, mampu mengambil rupa sesuka hati.
{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The narrative suggests that consequences of prior conduct unfold across locations and generations: even after exile, life continues, producing new agents whose capacities (kāmarūpatva) can amplify either dharma or adharma depending on their choices.
Vamśānucarita: this verse records progeny and distinctive traits, a typical purāṇic method of extending lineages and explaining later conflicts or local myths through births of extraordinary beings.
The ‘mahiṣa kāmarūpin’ combines animal-power symbolism (mahiṣa as strength, tamas, or primal force) with protean form (kāmarūpa), indicating unstable identity—an image often used in Purāṇic storytelling to foreshadow disruptive or liminal beings.