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

「高貴なる御方よ、死を決したわたしは、グヒヤカ（Guhyaka）によって制止された。そこでシュリーカンṭハ（Śrīkaṇṭha）を拝し、その後（わたしは）ゴーダーヴァリー（Godāvarī）の水辺へ赴いた。」

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.