Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 96

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

Devanagari script

न चोन्मोचयितुं वृक्षाच्छक्नुयामो ऽपि यत्नतः तदनेन नरेन्द्रेण त्रिधा कृत्वा तु शाखिनः

Transliteration

na conmocayituṃ vṛkṣācchaknuyāmo 'pi yatnataḥ tadanena narendreṇa tridhā kṛtvā tu śākhinaḥ

Translation

「しかも我らは、いかに努めても、その樹から彼を解き放つことができぬ。ゆえに、この人王によって、その樹の枝を三つに断ち分けて……」

Speakers

• The same sage continuing to address the Vānarapati; the ‘narendra’ is referenced as an agent in the solution.

Key Themes

• Human agency in resolving sacred dilemmas
• Ritualized cutting/division (tridhā)
• Narrative causation for later sacred markers

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘narendra’ and why is he important here?

The ‘narendra’ (king) is introduced as the practical agent capable of an extraordinary act—dividing the tree/branch—when ordinary effort fails. In tirtha-legends, royal intervention often becomes the etiological reason a site gains a name, a shrine, or a ritual rule.

What does ‘tridhā kṛtvā’ imply—cutting the whole tree or a branch?

The grammar points to dividing the ‘śākhin’ (the branch-bearing tree) and contextually the ‘śākhā’ (branch) in the next verse. It suggests a specific branch (or major limb) is cut into three to enable release, rather than felling the entire banyan.

Is there a symbolic meaning to dividing into three?

Often ‘three’ resonates with triads (three worlds, three fires, three guṇas). Here it is primarily a narrative device, but surrounding context may connect the three parts to three locations, three tirthas, or three ritual stations established from the severed pieces.