Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 158

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

Devanagari script

इन्द्रद्युम्नो मुनिश्रेष्ठमृतध्वजमुवाच ह जाबालेर्दीयतां ब्रह्मन् सुताकन्दरमालिनः

Transliteration

indradyumno muniśreṣṭhamṛtadhvajamuvāca ha jābālerdīyatāṃ brahman sutākandaramālinaḥ

Translation

त्यानंतर इंद्रद्युम्न मुनिश्रेष्ठ मृतध्वजांना म्हणाला— “हे ब्राह्मण, जाबालीची कन्या कंदरमालिनी (विवाहासाठी) द्यावी।”

Speakers

• Indradyumna addressing the sage Mṛtadhvaja

Key Themes

• Marriage alliance (vivāha)
• Royal-sage dialogue
• Social dharma (kanyādāna as a dharmic act)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What dharmic act is implied by ‘dīyatām’ in this context?

The verb ‘dīyatām’ (‘let her be given’) is standard Purāṇic/legal diction for kanyādāna—formally giving the bride in marriage according to rite, a major dharma for the bride’s guardian.

Who is Mṛtadhvaja here—king or sage?

The epithet ‘muniśreṣṭha’ directly qualifies Mṛtadhvaja, indicating he is treated as a foremost sage in this passage, regardless of the name’s occurrence elsewhere for royal figures.

Does Kandaramālinī’s name carry geographic resonance?

Etymologically it can suggest ‘one adorned with kandara (caves/valleys)’, which may hint at a landscape-linked epithet; however, the verse itself does not explicitly identify a specific mountain/forest, so it remains a personal name unless corroborated by nearby text.