Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Counsel to Andhaka, Shloka 43

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Prahlada’s Counsel to Andhaka on Dharma

Devanagari script

भिक्षो किमर्थं शौलेन्द्रं स्वर्गोपम्यं सकन्दरम् परिभुञ्जसि केनाद्य तव दत्तो वदस्व माम

Transliteration

bhikṣo kimarthaṃ śaulendraṃ svargopamyaṃ sakandaram paribhuñjasi kenādya tava datto vadasva māma

Translation

「おお托鉢の修行者よ、なぜお前はこの威厳ある山—天界にも比すべく、洞窟に満ちた山—を占め、享受しているのか。今日それを誰から授かったのか、我に告げよ。」

Speakers

• Andhaka addressing an ascetic (‘bhikṣu’) at/near Mandara

Key Themes

• Challenge to ascetic authority
• Contest over sacred space
• Mountain as divine/numinous residence
• Asuric arrogance vs tapasvin

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who is the ‘bhikṣu’ addressed here?

Within Andhaka-cycle storytelling, the ‘bhikṣu’ commonly signals an ascetic presence associated with Śiva’s sphere (Śiva himself in ascetic guise, or a Śaiva tapasvin). This verse alone does not name him, but the rhetoric anticipates a confrontation with a higher spiritual authority.

What does ‘svargopamyaṃ sakandaram’ contribute to the geography?

It characterizes the mountain as a tirtha-like landscape: ‘heaven-like’ (svargopama) and ‘cave-filled’ (sa-kandara). Caves are typical markers of ascetic practice-sites and divine abodes in Purāṇic sacred topography.

Is ‘paribhuñjasi’ merely ‘enjoy,’ or does it imply possession?

It can imply both use and dominion. In confrontational contexts it often carries the nuance of ‘claiming/appropriating’ a place—hence Andhaka’s demand to know by what authority the ascetic resides there.