Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 13

Liberation of a Preta

Devanagari script

आसीद् धुन्धुरिति ख्यातः कश्यपस्यौरसः सुतः दनुगर्भसमुद्भूतो माबलपराक्रमः

Transliteration

āsīd dhundhuriti khyātaḥ kaśyapasyaurasaḥ sutaḥ danugarbhasamudbhūto mābalaparākramaḥ

Translation

There was (an Asura) known as Dhundhu, the legitimate son of Kaśyapa, born from the womb of Danu, whose might and valor were immeasurable.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator) addressing Nārada (vocative implied by the following verse)

Primary Deities

• Kaśyapa
• Danu

Key Themes

• Asura genealogy
• Lineage of Kaśyapa
• Dānavas and their origins
• Mythic characterization (hyperbolic strength)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse stress ‘kaśyapasya aurasaḥ sutaḥ’ (legitimate son of Kaśyapa)?

Purāṇas often anchor demon narratives in Kaśyapa’s genealogy to integrate Asuras into the cosmic family-tree. ‘Aurasa’ emphasizes lawful descent, underscoring that even adversarial beings arise within the ordained creation (sṛṣṭi) rather than outside it.

What is implied by ‘danu-garbha-samudbhūtaḥ’ in Purāṇic taxonomy?

It identifies Dhundhu as a Dānava—an Asura class descended from Danu. This classification signals typical narrative roles: rivalry with Devas, pursuit of boons through tapas, and eventual confrontation with divine powers.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This śloka is purely genealogical and descriptive; the geography component appears elsewhere in the text, but not in this line.