Vamana Purana — Indra's Penance & Aditi's Vow, Shloka 6
Indra’s Penance at the Great River and Aditi’s Solar Vow for Vishnu’s Descent
कश्यपो ऽप्याह देवेशं भ्रूणहत्या कृता त्वया दित्युदरात् त्वया गर्भः कृत्तो वै बहुधा बलात्
kaśyapo 'pyāha deveśaṃ bhrūṇahatyā kṛtā tvayā dityudarāt tvayā garbhaḥ kṛtto vai bahudhā balāt
[{"question": "Who is Bāṇa in Purāṇic literature, and why is he described as ‘thousand-armed’?", "answer": "Bāṇa (Bāṇāsura) is a prominent asura king, often linked with Śiva’s sphere through devotion and boons in other Purāṇas. The ‘thousand arms’ motif signals superhuman might granted by tapas/boons and functions as a poetic marker of overwhelming martial capacity in deva–asura battles."}, {"question": "Does this verse imply literal mass slaughter, or is it a conventional epic hyperbole?", "answer": "The phrasing ‘sahasraśaḥ’ is a conventional mahākāvya/itihāsa–purāṇa idiom for vast casualties and battlefield dominance. It can be read as stylized hyperbole emphasizing the devas’ temporary setback rather than a precise count."}, {"question": "How does this battle detail serve the Andhaka narrative arc?", "answer": "Such verses establish the escalation: powerful asura allies (here Bāṇa) press the devas, necessitating divine intervention (typically Śiva and/or Viṣṇu’s strategic role in the broader Andhaka cycle)."}]
{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Bhrūṇahatya is the killing of an embryo/fetus, classed in dharma traditions among the gravest sins (mahāpātaka) because it violates life at its most protected stage and disrupts lineage and cosmic order.
In Purāṇic tradition, Diti seeks a powerful son to overthrow Indra; Indra enters her womb and divides the fetus, often explained as the origin of the Maruts (storm-gods) or as a narrative of Indra’s fear leading to transgression.
Kaśyapa is both patriarchal authority and Diti’s husband; as a prajāpati he embodies dharmic oversight and thus names the act in juridical-moral terms (pāpa) rather than merely as a conflict among devas and asuras.