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

We have heard that, after his rite of initiation (vratabandha) was performed, Divākara studied (recited) the Veda; but Niśākara, through dullness, did not study it.

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.