Vamana Purana — Indra's Penance & Aditi's Vow, Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा कश्यपवचः प्राह शक्रः पितामहम् विनाशं पाप्मनो ब्रूहि प्रायश्चित्तं विभो मम

Transliteration

tacchrutvā kaśyapavacaḥ prāha śakraḥ pitāmaham vināśaṃ pāpmano brūhi prāyaścittaṃ vibho mama

Translation

காசியபரின் வார்த்தைகளைக் கேட்ட சக்ரன் பிதாமகரிடம் (பிரம்மாவிடம்) கூறினான்: 'பிரபுவே, என் பாவம் அழிவதற்கான பரிகாரத்தை எனக்குக் கூறுங்கள்.'

Speakers

• Indra (Śakra) addressing Brahmā (Pitāmaha) after hearing Kaśyapa

Primary Deities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Kaśyapa

Key Themes

• Repentance and accountability
• Prāyaścitta as dharmic remedy
• Authority of Brahmā as moral adjudicator
• Restoration of cosmic order through expiation

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Indra approach Brahmā (Pitāmaha) for prāyaścitta?

Brahmā functions as a supra-royal dharmic authority—‘Pitāmaha’ of the cosmos—whose counsel restores order when even a deva-king errs. The narrative models that power must submit to dharma and prescribed expiation.

What is implied by ‘pāpmano vināśa’ (destruction of sin)?

It indicates not merely regret but a formal dharmic process: sin is treated as a real moral consequence requiring ritual/ethical remedy (prāyaścitta) to re-establish purity, legitimacy, and cosmic balance.

Are any pilgrimage places or rivers indicated here?

No. The verse is dialogic and ethical; it contains no explicit sacred geography terms.