Vamana Purana — Indra's Penance & Aditi's Vow, Shloka 6
Indra’s Penance at the Great River and Aditi’s Solar Vow for Vishnu’s Descent
कश्यपो ऽप्याह देवेशं भ्रूणहत्या कृता त्वया दित्युदरात् त्वया गर्भः कृत्तो वै बहुधा बलात्
kaśyapo 'pyāha deveśaṃ bhrūṇahatyā kṛtā tvayā dityudarāt tvayā garbhaḥ kṛtto vai bahudhā balāt
{"has_teaching": true, "teaching_type": "dharma", "core_concept": "The destructiveness of unchecked power (bāhu-sahasra) and the impermanence of martial dominance", "teaching_summary": "The verse dramatizes how sheer capacity and weaponry can devastate even divine hosts, underscoring that victory in saṃsāric conflict is unstable and ethically perilous when driven by rage.", "vedantic_theme": "Anityatā of worldly power; daiva vs pauruṣa tension", "practical_application": "Cultivate restraint and discernment; do not equate capability with righteousness."}
{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Bhrūṇahatya is the killing of an embryo/fetus, classed in dharma traditions among the gravest sins (mahāpātaka) because it violates life at its most protected stage and disrupts lineage and cosmic order.
In Purāṇic tradition, Diti seeks a powerful son to overthrow Indra; Indra enters her womb and divides the fetus, often explained as the origin of the Maruts (storm-gods) or as a narrative of Indra’s fear leading to transgression.
Kaśyapa is both patriarchal authority and Diti’s husband; as a prajāpati he embodies dharmic oversight and thus names the act in juridical-moral terms (pāpa) rather than merely as a conflict among devas and asuras.