Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

व्रतबन्धे कृते वेदं पपाठासौ दिवाकरः निशाकरो जडतया न पपाठेति नः श्रुतम्

Transliteration

vratabandhe kṛte vedaṃ papāṭhāsau divākaraḥ niśākaro jaḍatayā na papāṭheti naḥ śrutam

Translation

ਵ੍ਰਤਬੰਧ ਹੋਣ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਦਿਵਾਕਰ ਨੇ ਵੇਦ ਦਾ ਪਾਠ ਕੀਤਾ; ਪਰ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਕਰ ਨੇ ਜੜਤਾ ਕਾਰਨ ਵੇਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਪੜ੍ਹਿਆ—ਇਹ ਅਸੀਂ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਹੈ।

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the chapter (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Upanayana and Vedic eligibility
• Education as dharma
• Moral contrast between siblings/peers
• Social consequences of neglecting svādhyāya (Vedic study)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is ‘vratabandha’ in this context?

In Purāṇic usage, vratabandha commonly denotes upanayana—the initiation that authorizes a dvija to undertake svādhyāya (Vedic study) and related disciplines.

Why are the names Divākara and Niśākara used?

They function as meaningful proper names (‘Sun’ and ‘Moon’) to heighten contrast: one becomes ‘luminous’ through study, while the other remains ‘darkened’ by jaḍatā (dullness).

Is this verse teaching a ritual rule or a moral lesson?

Primarily a moral exemplum: after initiation, neglect of study is portrayed as a fault with social and karmic repercussions, setting up the narrative consequences in the following verses.