Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 131

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

चलन्मौलिर्मुक्तकचः परिभ्रष्टायुधाङ्गदः पतमानं सहस्राक्षं दृष्ट्वा भूः समकम्पत

Transliteration

calanmaulirmuktakacaḥ paribhraṣṭāyudhāṅgadaḥ patamānaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhūḥ samakampata

Translation

മകുടം കുലുങ്ങി, മുടി അഴുകി, ആയുധങ്ങളും ഭുജാഭരണങ്ങളും സ്ഥാനം തെറ്റി—വീഴുന്ന സഹസ്രാക്ഷനെ (ഇന്ദ്രനെ) കണ്ടപ്പോൾ ഭൂമി കുലുങ്ങി.

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing the cosmic reaction to Indra’s fall

Primary Deities

• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)

Key Themes

• Cosmic sympathy/portent
• Iconography of defeat (disheveled regalia)
• Indra’s vulnerability within the Andhaka cycle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the earth tremble when Indra falls?

Earth-tremors in Purāṇic narrative function as omens and cosmic ‘sympathy’ (aśubha-nimitta). The fall of a lokapāla like Indra is portrayed as a disturbance in the cosmic order, hence the trembling of the earth.

What does the description of loosened hair and displaced weapons convey?

It is a conventional marker of rout/defeat: the warrior’s controlled appearance (crown, hair, ornaments, weapons) becomes disordered, signaling loss of mastery and impending danger.

Is this tremor tied to a specific sacred geography in the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Not here. The verse uses universal cosmic language (‘bhūḥ’), without anchoring the event to a named kṣetra, river, or tīrtha.