Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 94

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

गृहं त्यक्त्वा हयुपवनं सखीभिः सहिता तदा तत्राप्यनुजगामासौ मदान्धो मुनिपुङ्गव

Transliteration

gṛhaṃ tyaktvā hayupavanaṃ sakhībhiḥ sahitā tadā tatrāpyanujagāmāsau madāndho munipuṅgava

Translation

Abandoning her dwelling, she then went to the Hayu-grove, accompanied by her friends. Even there that one—blind with intoxication—followed her, O best of sages.

Speakers

• Primary narrator addressing the listener as ‘munipuṅgava’ (best of sages)
• consistent with a sage-to-sage frame (commonly Pulastya to Nārada).

Primary Deities

• Pārvatī (Girijā)

Key Themes

• Andhaka episode
• Sacred grove as refuge-space
• Companions of the Goddess (sakhīs)
• Demonic arrogance (mada)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is ‘Hayu-pavana’—a generic grove or a specific sacred place?

The compound is presented as a proper toponym (Hayu-pavana), indicating a specific grove/park within the narrative geography. Without additional qualifiers in adjacent verses, it should be cataloged as a named sacred/forest locale rather than translated away as merely ‘a grove’.

Why does the narrator address ‘munipuṅgava’ here?

It signals the dialogic Purāṇic frame: the story is being recited to an eminent sage (often Nārada). The honorific also marks a transition point—Girijā changes location, and the pursuer continues—keeping the listener engaged.

What does ‘madāndha’ imply about the pursuer’s motive?

‘Madāndha’ suggests a moral-psychological blindness—overpowered by lust, pride, or intoxication—typical of Andhaka’s characterization. It frames the pursuit as adharma driven by uncontrolled passion, setting up the necessity of divine correction.