Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

निमग्नश् चापि ददृशे महामत्स्यं जलेशयम्ष बह्वीभिर्मत्स्यकन्याभिः प्रीयमाणं पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

nimagnaś cāpi dadṛśe mahāmatsyaṃ jaleśayamṣa bahvībhirmatsyakanyābhiḥ prīyamāṇaṃ punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

ജലത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിയിരിക്കെ അവൻ ജലത്തിൽ ശയിക്കുന്ന മഹാമത്സ്യത്തെ കണ്ടു; അനേകം മത്സ്യകന്യകൾ അതിനെ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും സന്തോഷിപ്പിച്ച് ശുശ്രൂഷിച്ചു കൊണ്ടിരുന്നു।

Speakers

• Narrator voice (continuation of the episode)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (implicit via Matsya motif, not explicit)
• Brahma (implied by Puṣkara sanctity)

Key Themes

• Miraculous phenomena at tīrthas
• Aquatic beings (matsya-kanyā) in sacred lakes
• Temptation/ethics in pilgrimage settings
• Mythic ecology of sacred geography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is the ‘mahāmatsya’ here the Matsya-avatāra of Viṣṇu?

The verse itself does not explicitly identify the fish as Viṣṇu’s Matsya-avatāra; it describes a ‘great fish’ within the tīrtha. However, Purāṇic audiences often hear an intentional echo of the Matsya motif, lending the scene a numinous ambiguity—marvel at the tīrtha without forcing a direct avatāra identification.

Who are the ‘matsya-kanyās’ and what do they signify?

Matsya-kanyās are aquatic maiden-beings (nymph-like figures) associated with wondrous waters. In tīrtha narratives they can function as (1) local mythic inhabitants of sacred lakes, and (2) narrative instruments testing restraint (saṃyama) and dharma even in holy places.

Why is the detail ‘punaḥ punaḥ’ (again and again) important?

It emphasizes ongoing, repeated indulgence/attention around the fish, heightening the sense of spectacle and potential impropriety—setting up the next verse’s moral rebuke concerning dharma and public reproach.