Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

मर्तुं कृतमतिर्भद्रे वारिता गुह्यकेन च श्रीकण्ठमगमं द्रष्टुं ततो गोदावरं जलम्

Transliteration

martuṃ kṛtamatirbhadre vāritā guhyakena ca śrīkaṇṭhamagamaṃ draṣṭuṃ tato godāvaraṃ jalam

Translation

Wahai wanita mulia, ketika aku telah bertekad untuk mati, seorang Guhyaka menahanku. Lalu aku pergi memandang Śrīkaṇṭha, dan sesudah itu menuju air sungai Godāvarī.

Speakers

• Female narrator to an addressed listener (“bhadre”)
• within the chapter’s narrative frame.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Śrīkaṇṭha)

Key Themes

• Suicidal despair averted by divine/semidivine intervention
• Tirtha-yātrā as remedy for curse and suffering
• Śaiva sacred geography centered on Godāvarī
• Vision (darśana) of the deity as salvific act

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who/what is a ‘Guhyaka’ in this context?

Guhyakas are semi-divine beings, often associated with Yakṣas and guardianship of hidden (guhya) places and treasures. In tirtha narratives they can function as protectors who redirect a distressed person toward a sacred remedy rather than self-destruction.

Is ‘Śrīkaṇṭha’ here a deity or a place?

Grammatically it is the object of ‘to see’ (draṣṭum), so it is Śiva as Śrīkaṇṭha; in Purāṇic usage this commonly implies a localized sacred presence as well—i.e., a Śiva-tirtha where Śrīkaṇṭha is worshiped or manifests.

Why is the Godāvarī singled out as ‘jalam’ (waters) rather than simply ‘nadī’?

Tirtha discourse emphasizes the purifying, vow-supporting efficacy of the water itself—bathing (snāna), sipping (ācamana), and ritual acts depend on ‘jalam’ as the operative sacred medium, especially in river-centered mahātmyas like those around the Godāvarī.