Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 13

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

आसीद् धुन्धुरिति ख्यातः कश्यपस्यौरसः सुतः दनुगर्भसमुद्भूतो माबलपराक्रमः

Transliteration

āsīd dhundhuriti khyātaḥ kaśyapasyaurasaḥ sutaḥ danugarbhasamudbhūto mābalaparākramaḥ

Translation

ധുന്ധു എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധനായ ഒരു അസുരൻ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; അവൻ കശ്യപന്റെ ഔരസപുത്രൻ, ദനുവിന്റെ ഗർഭത്തിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ചവൻ; അവന്റെ ശക്തിയും പരാക്രമവും അളവറ്റതായിരുന്നു।

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator) addressing Nārada (vocative implied by the following verse)

Primary Deities

• Kaśyapa
• Danu

Key Themes

• Asura genealogy
• Lineage of Kaśyapa
• Dānavas and their origins
• Mythic characterization (hyperbolic strength)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does the verse stress ‘kaśyapasya aurasaḥ sutaḥ’ (legitimate son of Kaśyapa)?

Purāṇas often anchor demon narratives in Kaśyapa’s genealogy to integrate Asuras into the cosmic family-tree. ‘Aurasa’ emphasizes lawful descent, underscoring that even adversarial beings arise within the ordained creation (sṛṣṭi) rather than outside it.

What is implied by ‘danu-garbha-samudbhūtaḥ’ in Purāṇic taxonomy?

It identifies Dhundhu as a Dānava—an Asura class descended from Danu. This classification signals typical narrative roles: rivalry with Devas, pursuit of boons through tapas, and eventual confrontation with divine powers.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This śloka is purely genealogical and descriptive; the geography component appears elsewhere in the text, but not in this line.