Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 59

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

तस्य पुत्रद्वयं जातं मन्दप्रज्ञं सुदुःखितम् तत्र ज्येष्ठो मम भ्राता कनीयानपरस्त्वहम्

Transliteration

tasya putradvayaṃ jātaṃ mandaprajñaṃ suduḥkhitam tatra jyeṣṭho mama bhrātā kanīyānaparastvaham

Translation

Darinya lahir dua putra—berakal tumpul dan sangat menderita. Di antara keduanya, yang sulung adalah saudaraku; yang bungsu, aku sendiri.

Speakers

• Unnamed first-person narrator (an Asura) speaking to an unnamed listener within the Andhaka-related narrative frame

Key Themes

• Asura genealogy
• Self-identification of narrator
• Karmic affliction / suffering

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘I’ (aham) speaking in this verse?

The verse is in first-person and functions as a genealogical self-introduction by an Asura narrator within the Andhaka-related cycle. The specific identity is clarified by the next verse through the naming of the elder brother (Netrabhāsa) and the narrator’s own name (Gatibhāsa).

What is implied by ‘mandaprajñaṃ suduḥkhitam’ for both sons?

It characterizes the two brothers as simultaneously intellectually limited and burdened by suffering—often a Purāṇic marker of inauspicious birth conditions, karmic residue, or a narrative setup for later transformation, conflict, or downfall.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic reference typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This is a purely genealogical/narrative statement without rivers, lakes, forests, or pilgrimage-sites.