Vamana Purana — Chanda & Munda Discover Katyayani, Shloka 3
Chanda and Munda Discover Katyayani; Mahishasura’s Proposal and the Vishnu-Panjara Protection
स्वस्थो भवान् किं त्वसुरेन्द्र साम्प्रतमागच्छ पश्याम च तत्र विन्ध्यम् तत्रास्ति देवी सुमहानुभावा कन्या सुरूपा सुरसुन्दरीणाम्
svastho bhavān kiṃ tvasurendra sāmpratamāgaccha paśyāma ca tatra vindhyam tatrāsti devī sumahānubhāvā kanyā surūpā surasundarīṇām
(Mereka berkata:) “Adakah tuanku kini sejahtera, wahai raja para Asura? Marilah—kita pergi melihat Gunung Vindhya di sana. Di sana ada seorang Dewi yang amat agung wibawanya, seorang gadis rupawan, mengatasi para bidadari syurga.”
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FAQs
The verse shows how desire and curiosity can become gateways to downfall: the Asuras are lured not only by power but by beauty, illustrating the Purāṇic warning that unchecked attraction (kāma/ahaṅkāra) leads to adharma-driven action.
This is episodic narrative (carita) within the Purāṇa, aligned with accounts of conflicts and notable figures rather than the cosmological limbs. It supports the Purāṇic function of teaching dharma through story.
Vindhya here functions as a liminal sacred geography—an in-between realm where the Goddess manifests independently. Calling her ‘kanyā’ highlights purity and unassailable autonomy, while ‘sumahānubhāvā’ signals that her beauty is inseparable from tejas (spiritual radiance).