Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 165

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

Devanagari script

वृत्ते मुनिर्विवाहे तु शक्रादीन् प्राह दैवतान् अस्मिस्तीर्थे भवद्भिस्तु सप्तगोदावरे सदा

Transliteration

vṛtte munirvivāhe tu śakrādīn prāha daivatān asmistīrthe bhavadbhistu saptagodāvare sadā

Translation

{"scene_description": "Lion-faced gaṇas erupting from the hairs of the Lord’s body, brandishing tridents, arrows, and bows; Vīrabhadra stands at the front, commanding the newly born host.", "primary_figures": ["Vīrabhadra", "lion-faced gaṇas", "Śiva (implied source of manifestation)"], "setting": "A charged battlefield threshold with swirling energy lines, ash and sparks, weapons raised in formation.", "color_palette": ["black", "ash gray", "blood red", "bronze", "electric blue highlights"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, gold-leaf aura around Śiva as source, dramatic emergence of gaṇas from body-hairs, Vīrabhadra leading with fierce stance, rich reds and blacks, ornate frame, high devotional drama", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, stylized yet intense emanation scene, Vīrabhadra foreground, lion-faced gaṇas with bows and tridents, swirling clouds, nuanced reds and grays, fine linework", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines, flat ash-black background, explosive yet orderly gaṇa emergence from Śiva, Vīrabhadra prominent, saturated vermilion and ochre weapons, temple iconography", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll, sequential depiction of gaṇas arising from roma, lion-faced masks, Vīrabhadra at head, patterned weapon motifs, strong black-red palette, decorative borders"}

Speakers

• A muni (sage) speaking to Śakra (Indra) and other deities

Primary Deities

• Indra
• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima (deities’ perpetual presence)
• Deva-sannidhya (divine immanence at pilgrimage sites)
• Ritual completion leading to sanctification of place

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does the sage’s injunction to the gods imply about Saptagodāvarī?

It asserts deva-sannidhya: the tirtha is not merely commemorative but continuously empowered by the abiding presence of Indra and other gods, making it perpetually efficacious for rites and pilgrimage.

Why is Indra (Śakra) singled out first (‘śakrādīn’)?

Indra commonly heads deva-lists in Purāṇic diction; invoking him first signals a formal address to the entire divine assembly and underscores the cosmic recognition of the tirtha.

How does this verse fit the Vamana Purana’s geographical agenda?

By tying a named Godāvarī tirtha (Saptagodāvarī) to a concrete ritual-historical episode and then declaring ongoing divine presence, the text converts narrative into a durable geographic-sacral marker for pilgrims.