Adhyaya 40: Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Prahlada’s Counsel to Andhaka on Dharma
शुक्रशापः—दण्डविनाशः तथा परदारवर्जनधर्मोपदेशः (Śukraśāpaḥ—Daṇḍavināśaḥ tathā Paradāravarjanadharmopadeśaḥ)
Shukra's Curse Continued
Pulastya, in dialogue with Nārada, narrates a two-part ethical and theologically syncretic episode that foregrounds asura-dharma and the inviolability of divine order. First, Araja (Śukra’s daughter) is violated by King Daṇḍa, prompting Śukra’s return from Pātāla and his juridical curse: within seven nights Daṇḍa, his realm, army, retinue, and vehicles are reduced to ashes by a rain of stones—an exemplary Purāṇic articulation of tapas-backed brahmanical authority. The narrative then pivots to Andhaka’s hubris against Tryambaka (Śiva), where Prahlāda counsels restraint through a didactic discourse attributed to Devarṣi Asita on dharma, especially the categorical prohibition of parādāra (coveting another’s wife). The chapter thus integrates Shaiva supremacy (Śaṅkara’s invincibility) with moral governance, presenting transgression as the cause of political and cosmic collapse rather than mere sectarian rivalry.
Divine Beings
Sacred Geography
Mortal & Asura Figures
Key Content Points
- Śukra discovers Araja’s dishonor and pronounces a tapas-powered curse that annihilates King Daṇḍa and his entire polity within seven nights via grāvavṛṣṭi (stone-rain), illustrating punitive cosmic jurisprudence.
- Prahlāda admonishes Andhaka using Asita’s dharma-teaching: parādāra-sevana leads to severe naraka consequences (including Raurava), while self-restraint and śāstra-alignment secure fearlessness and prosperity.
- Andhaka rejects dharma-counsel, sends Śambara to challenge Śaṅkara at Mandara, and mobilizes a vast asura host—setting the stage for a Shaiva-centered confrontation framed within the Pulastya–Nārada narration.
Shlokas in Adhyaya 40
Verse 1
इति श्रीवामनपुराणे एकोनचत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः अरजा उवाच नात्मानं तव दास्यामि बुहनोक्तेन किं तव रक्षन्ती भवतः शापादात्मानं च मही पते
Verse 16
श्पत्वेत्थं भगवान् शुक्रो दण्डमिक्ष्वाकुनन्दनम् जगाम शिष्यसहितः पातालं दानवालयम्
ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເມື່ອພຣະສຸກຣະຜູ້ນ່າເຄົາລົບ ໄດ້ສາບແຊ່ງດັນຑະ ຜູ້ເປັນຄວາມຊື່ນຊົມແຫ່ງວົງອິກສະວາກຸ ແລ້ວ ທ່ານກໍໄດ້ໄປພ້ອມກັບສິດທິສາວົກ ສູ່ປາຕາລະ ອັນເປັນທີ່ຢູ່ຂອງດານະວະ।
Verse 17
दण्डो ऽपि भस्मसाद् भूतः सराष्ट्रबलवाहनः महता ग्राववरषेण सप्तरात्रान्तरे तदा
Then Daṇḍa too was reduced to ashes—along with his kingdom, his troops, and his mounts/vehicles—by a great shower of stones, within the span of seven nights.
Verse 23
किं ममासौ रणे योद्धुं शक्तस्त्रिमयनो ऽसुर एकाकी धर्मरहितो भस्मारुणितविग्रहः
«ໂອ ອະສຸຣະ, ຜູ້ມີສາມຕານັ້ນຈະມີກຳລັງພໍທີ່ຈະຮົບກັບຂ້ອຍໃນສົງຄາມໄດ້ແນວໃດ? ລາວຢູ່ຜູ້ດຽວ, ປາສະຈາກທຳມະ, ແລະກາຍຖືກຍ້ອມ/ປົກຄຸມດ້ວຍຂີ້ເຖົ່າ.»
Verse 24
नान्धको बिभियादिन्द्रान्नामरेभ्यः कथञ्चन स कथं वृषपत्राक्षाद् बिभेति स्त्रीमुखेक्षकात्
“Andhaka does not fear Indra, nor the gods, in any way. How then could he fear Vṛṣapatrākṣa—one who merely looks upon women’s faces?”
Verse 41
पुलस्त्य उवाच इत्येवमुक्ते वचने प्रह्लादं प्राह चान्धकः भवान् धर्मपरस्त्वेको नाहं धर्म समाचरे
ພຸລັສຕະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ເມື່ອຖ້ອຍຄຳນີ້ຖືກກ່າວແລ້ວ ອັນທະກະ ໄດ້ກ່າວກັບ ປຣະຫລາດະ ວ່າ “ມີແຕ່ທ່ານເທົ່ານັ້ນທີ່ຍຶດຖືທຳມະ; ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ປະພຶດທຳມະ.”
Verse 43
भिक्षो किमर्थं शौलेन्द्रं स्वर्गोपम्यं सकन्दरम् परिभुञ्जसि केनाद्य तव दत्तो वदस्व माम
“ໂອ ພິກຂຸ, ເພາະເຫດໃດທ່ານຈຶ່ງເຂົ້າຄອບຄອງ/ເສບສຸກຢູ່ເທິງພູອັນສົງ່ານີ້—ດຸດສະຫວັນ ແລະມີຖ້ຳຫຼາຍ? ມື້ນີ້ ໃຜເປັນຜູ້ມອບໃຫ້ທ່ານ? ຈົ່ງບອກຂ້ອຍ.”
Verse ["Bhakti expressed through service", "Righteous warfare against adharma", "Śaiva martial theology"]
5
เขากราบด้วยศรัทธาแล้วกล่าวต่อพระมหेशวรว่า “ข้าแต่พระชคันนาถ เหตุใดจึงยืนนิ่งอยู่? ขอทรงลุกขึ้นด้วยพระทัยมุ่งสู่ศึกเถิด”
Verse ["apramāda", "giriputrī", "surakṣita geha", "rakṣaṇīyā", "Pārvatī protection", "Andhaka-vadha"]
यच्चाब्रवीद् दीयतां मे गिरिपुत्रीति दानवः तदेषा यातु स्वं कामं नाहं वारयितुं क्षमः
«ដោយអ្នកទាំងអស់គ្នា—ត្រូវប្រុងប្រយ័ត្ន—នាងត្រូវស្នាក់នៅក្នុងគេហដ្ឋានដែលបានការពារយ៉ាងល្អ។ កូនស្រីនៃភ្នំត្រូវបានការពារដោយការខិតខំ មិនឲ្យមានការធ្វេសប្រហែសឡើយ»។
Verse 51
अहं पताका संग्रामे भवानीशश्च देविनौ प्रामद्यूतं परिस्तीर्य यो जेष्यति स लप्स्यते
«ໃນສົງຄາມນີ້ ຂ້ອຍຈະເປັນທຸງລາງວັນ; ແລະເທວີສອງພຣະນາງ—Bhavānī ແລະ Īśā—ຈະເປັນຂອງພະນັນ. ເມື່ອປູພື້ນເກມພະນັນ ‘prāmadyūta’ ອັນເຮັດໃຫ້ໃຈຮ້ອນແຮງແລ້ວ, ຜູ້ໃດຊະນະ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະໄດ້ຮັບ»।
Verse 52
इत्येवमुक्तो मतिमान् शम्बरो ऽन्दकमागमत् समागम्याब्रवीद् वाक्यं शर्वगौर्योश्च भाषितम्
ເມື່ອຖືກກ່າວດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຊຳບະຣະຜູ້ມີປັນຍາ ໄດ້ໄປຫາ Andhaka. ເມື່ອໄດ້ພົບກັນແລ້ວ ລາວໄດ້ກ່າວຂໍ້ຄວາມ ໂດຍທວນຄໍາທີ່ໄດ້ກ່າວເຖິງ Śarva (Śiva) ແລະ Gaurī.
Verse 53
तच्छ्रत्वा दानवपतिः क्रोधदीप्तेक्षणः श्वसन् समाहूयाब्रवीद् वाक्यं दुर्योधनमिदं वचः
ເມື່ອໄດ້ຍິນເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ ຈອມເຈົ້າແຫ່ງດານະວະ ມີດວງຕາລຸກໄຟດ້ວຍຄວາມໂກດ ແລະຫາຍໃຈຮຸນແຮງ, ໄດ້ເອີ້ນຜູ້ຄົນມາ ແລະກ່າວຄໍາຮຸນແຮງນີ້.
Verse 54
गच्छ शीघ्रं महाबाहो भेरीं सान्नाहिकीं दृढाम् ताडयस्व सुविश्रब्धं दुःशीलामिव योषितम्
«ໄປໃຫ້ໄວ ໂອ ຜູ້ມີແຂນໃຫຍ່! ຈົ່ງຕີກອງສົງຄາມອັນແຂງແຮງ ທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ສານນາຫິກີ ດ້ວຍຄວາມໝັ້ນໃຈ—ຕີດັ່ງຕີຍິງຜູ້ປະພຶດຊົ່ວ»।
Verse 55
समादिष्टो ऽन्धकेनाथ भेरीं दुर्योधनो बलात् ताडयामास वेगेन यथाप्राणेन भूयसा
«ເມື່ອໄດ້ຮັບຄໍາສັ່ງຈາກ ອັນທະກະ ແລ້ວ, ດຸຣະໂຢທະນະ ກໍຕີກອງດ້ວຍພະລັງລ້ວນໆ ດ້ວຍຄວາມໄວ—ໃສ່ແຮງລົມຫາຍໃຈ (ຄວາມພະຍາຍາມ) ໃຫ້ຫຼາຍທີ່ສຸດ»។
Verse 56
सा ताडिता बलवता भेरी दुर्योधनेन हि सत्वरं भैरवं रावं रुराव सुरभी यथा
“Struck powerfully by Duryodhana, that drum quickly roared with a terrifying sound—like Surabhī (the divine cow) (roaring).”
Verse 58
याथातथ्यं च तान् सर्वानाह सेनापतिर्बली ते चापि बलिनां श्रेष्ठाः सन्नद्धा युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः
«ແລ້ວ ບາລີ ຜູ້ເປັນແມ່ທັບ ໄດ້ເລົ່າໃຫ້ທຸກຄົນຟັງຕາມຄວາມເປັນຈິງ; ແລະບັນດາຜູ້ແຂງແຮງທີ່ເປັນເລີດ ກໍສວມອາວຸດຄົບຖ້ວນ ປາຖະໜາຈະຮົບ»។
Verse 59
सहान्धका निर्ययुस्ते गजैरुष्ट्रैर्हयै रथैः अन्धको रथमास्थाय पञ्चनल्वप्रणमाणतः
ພ້ອມກັບອັນທະກະ ພວກເຂົາໄດ້ອອກເດີນທາງ ໂດຍຂີ່ຊ້າງ ອູດ ມ້າ ແລະລົດຮົບ. ອັນທະກະຂຶ້ນລົດຮົບຂອງຕົນ ແລ້ວກ້າວໜ້າຕາມມາດຕາ «ປັນຈະນັລວະ» (ໜ່ວຍວັດພິເສດ).
Verse 60
त्र्यम्बकं स पराजेतुं कृतबुद्धिर्विनिर्ययौ जम्भः कुजम्भो हुण्डश्च तुहुण्डः शम्बरो बलिः
ເມື່ອຕັ້ງໃຈຈະປະລາຊັຍຕຣຽມບະກະ (ພຣະສິວະ) ແລ້ວ ລາວກໍອອກເດີນທາງ. (ດາຍຕະຍະທີ່ໄປກັບລາວຄື:) ຈັມພະ, ກຸຈັມພະ, ຫຸນດະ, ທຸຫຸນດະ, ສັມບະຣະ, ແລະ ບະລິ.
Verse 61
बाणाः कार्तस्वरो हस्ती सूर्यशत्रुर्महोदरः अयःशुङ्कुः शिबिः शाल्वो वृषपर्वा विरोचनः
ततो ऽम्बरतले देवाḥ सेन्द्रविष्णुपितामहाः ससूर्याग्निपुरोगाः दिदृक्षवः समायाताः।
Verse 62
हयग्रीवः कालनेमिः संह्लादः कालनाशनः शरभः शलभश्चैव विप्रचित्तिश्च वीर्यवान्
39
Verse 64
इत्थं दुरात्मा दनुसैन्यपालस्तदान्धको योद्धुमना हरेण महाचलं मन्दरमभ्युपेयिवान् स कालपाशावसितो हि मन्दधीः
Thus, that evil-souled Andhaka, commander of the Dānu host, intent on fighting with Hara, approached the great mountain Mandara—indeed, dull-witted, he was already ensnared by the noose of Time (Death).
Frequently Asked Questions
Within Pulastya’s narration to Nārada, the chapter advances a syncretic theology by treating dharma—not sectarian identity—as the governing principle: Śukra’s brahmanical tapas enforces cosmic justice, while Śaṅkara (Tryambaka) is presented as invincible even to sura–asura forces. Prahlāda’s counsel functions as an asura-dharma corrective, aligning political power with śāstra and restraint, thereby harmonizing divine authority across traditions.
This Adhyāya is not primarily a tīrtha-māhātmya unit; it contains minimal topographical sanctification. The explicit locations are Mandara Mountain (as Śiva’s residence with Bhavānī in this narrative context) and Pātāla (Śukra’s return-point). No Kurukṣetra/Sarasvatī-basin sites, rivers, sarovaras, or ritual prescriptions are specified in the received passage.
The core teaching is parādāra-varjana (renunciation of another’s spouse) as a universal dharma for all varṇas. It is illustrated by two linked consequences: Daṇḍa’s sexual transgression triggers Śukra’s curse and total political annihilation, while Andhaka’s refusal to heed Prahlāda’s dharma-counsel leads him to escalate toward conflict with Tryambaka, framed as self-destructive hubris.