Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 31

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छीघ्रमिमं त्यक्त्वा मनुजं घोररुपिणम् अन्यस्य कस्यचित् पुत्रं शीघ्रमानय सुन्दरि

Transliteration

tasmācchīghramimaṃ tyaktvā manujaṃ ghorarupiṇam anyasya kasyacit putraṃ śīghramānaya sundari

Translation

“അതുകൊണ്ട് ഈ ഭീകരരൂപമുള്ള മനുഷ്യനെ ഉടൻ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, മറ്റാരുടെയെങ്കിലും പുത്രനെ വേഗത്തിൽ കൊണ്ടുവരിക, ഹേ സുന്ദരി।”

Speakers

• Unspecified male speaker (likely a rākṣasa/agent) addressing a female rākṣasī (sundarī).

Key Themes

• Rakshasa conduct and predation
• Command/obedience within demonic household
• Child-seizure motif in Purāṇic narrative

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is being addressed as “sundarī,” and why is this term used for a rākṣasī?

“Sundarī” is a conventional vocative used in Sanskrit narrative even for non-human females; it can be flattering, coercive, or simply idiomatic. Here it marks the addressee as a female agent expected to comply swiftly.

What does “manujaṃ ghorarūpiṇam” imply—why abandon this human?

The phrase suggests the targeted human is frightening, dangerous, or inauspicious for the rākṣasas’ purpose. The command indicates a change of victim: instead of this formidable person, seize another’s son.

Is there any tīrtha or geographic marker embedded here?

No. This śloka is purely narrative and contains no rivers, forests, lakes, or pilgrimage-sites.