Vamana Purana — Indra's Penance & Aditi's Vow, Shloka 13

Indra’s Penance at the Great River and Aditi’s Solar Vow for Vishnu’s Descent

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्तः सुरराड् विरिञ्चिना मरीचिपुत्रेण च कश्यपेन तथैव मित्रावरुणात्मजेन वेगान्महीपृष्ठमवाप्य तस्थौ

Transliteration

ityevamuktaḥ surarāḍ viriñcinā marīciputreṇa ca kaśyapena tathaiva mitrāvaruṇātmajena vegānmahīpṛṣṭhamavāpya tasthau

Translation

इत्येवमुक्तः सुरराड् विरिञ्चिना मरीचिपुत्रेण च कश्यपेन; तथैव मित्रावरुणात्मजेन वेगान्महीपृष्ठमवाप्य तस्थौ।

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing Indra’s action after being instructed by Brahmā and sages

Primary Deities

• Indra
• Brahmā (Viriñci)
• Kaśyapa
• Vasiṣṭha (implied by Mitrāvaruṇātmaja)
• Mitra
• Varuṇa

Key Themes

• Authority of Brahmā and Prajāpati-sages
• Genealogical identifiers (Marīci → Kaśyapa; Mitra-Varuṇa → Vasiṣṭha)
• Swift descent to the terrestrial realm
• Narrative transition toward an earthly rite/encounter

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Mitrāvaruṇātmaja’ here, and why is he referenced by parentage?

In Purāṇic genealogy, the ‘son of Mitra and Varuṇa’ is commonly Vasiṣṭha. Parentage-epithets function as precise identifiers and also invoke the authority of a lineage—here, the counsel is backed by Brahmā and eminent progenitor-sages.

What does Indra’s reaching ‘mahīpṛṣṭha’ signal in the narrative?

It marks a shift from celestial deliberation to terrestrial action. In many Purāṇic arcs, the decisive remedy—tīrtha practice, a vow, a sacrifice, or approaching Viṣṇu’s manifestation—unfolds on earth, where dharmic acts are performed and visible outcomes occur.

Is any specific sacred place implied by this descent?

Not in this verse. The text only states ‘earth’s surface’ without naming a tīrtha. The next verses typically specify the locale (a forest, āśrama, riverbank, or pilgrimage site) if the chapter is moving into a geography-centered instruction.