Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 89

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

अवतीर्णा नदीं स्नातुं स्वरूपा चार्द्रवाससा साङ्गोपाङ्गां रूपवतीं दृष्ट्वा तामहमाद्रवम्

Transliteration

avatīrṇā nadīṃ snātuṃ svarūpā cārdravāsasā sāṅgopāṅgāṃ rūpavatīṃ dṛṣṭvā tāmahamādravam

Translation

“She descended to the river to bathe, in her own (natural) form, her garments wet. Seeing her—beautiful, with all her limbs and features complete—I ran toward her.”

Speakers

• Narrator (first-person) continuing
• addressing a sage

Key Themes

• River-bathing (snāna)
• Embodiment and restoration (sāṅgopāṅga)
• Ritual purity and transition

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shringara", "secondaryRasa": "bibhatsa", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What does ‘sva-rūpā’ imply in a Purāṇic narrative?

It commonly indicates a return to an original or proper state—often after a curse, disguise, or affliction—suggesting that the maiden’s condition has normalized prior to performing snāna.

Why is ‘sāṅgopāṅgā’ significant?

The phrase stresses completeness and integrity of form—useful when a prior episode involved impairment, transformation, or partial manifestation. It signals that what is seen is a full, auspicious embodiment.

Is the river identifiable?

Not from these verses alone. The Vāmana Purāṇa frequently embeds such scenes within named tīrthas; identification requires the immediately preceding/following verses where the river or locality is typically specified.