Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 44

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

Devanagari script

द्वावेव वर्धितौ बालौ संजातौ सप्तवार्षिकौ पित्रा च कृतनामानौ निशाकरदिवाकरौ

Transliteration

dvāveva vardhitau bālau saṃjātau saptavārṣikau pitrā ca kṛtanāmānau niśākaradivākarau

Translation

अशा रीतीने पित्याने वाढवलेली ती दोन्ही मुले सात वर्षांची झाली. मग पित्याने त्यांची नावे ठेवली—निशाकर आणि दिवाकर।

Speakers

• Narrator to listener (frame not explicit in the excerpt).

Key Themes

• Naming (nāma-karaṇa) motif
• Solar-lunar symbolism
• Twin motif in Purāṇic storytelling

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of the names Niśākara and Divākara?

They are epithets of the Moon and Sun, respectively. Purāṇic narratives often use such names to mark complementary qualities—cool/bright, night/day—suggesting balanced virtues or future roles in ritual and learning.

Why is the age ‘seven’ highlighted?

Seven is a culturally significant threshold for childhood development and for initiating education/discipline. In many traditions, the approach to formal saṃskāras and study is narrated around this age-range, preparing for rites like upanayana.

Does this imply astrological or cosmological teaching?

Indirectly. While the verse itself is biographical, solar-lunar naming commonly cues later dharma or calendrical associations (tithi, māsa, ritual timing), especially in a tirtha-mahātmya setting where ritual calendars matter.