Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

एवं क्षिप्तस्तदा कूपे समतीतेषु भार्गव तस्य मातागमत् कूपं तमन्धं शिलयाचितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ kṣiptastadā kūpe samatīteṣu bhārgava tasya mātāgamat kūpaṃ tamandhaṃ śilayācitam

Translation

ஓ பார்கவா! இவ்வாறு அவன் கிணற்றில் தள்ளப்பட்டபின் சில காலம் கடந்ததும், அவன் தாய் அந்தக் கிணற்றிற்கு வந்தாள்; அங்கு அந்தக் குருடன் பாறையால் மூடப்பட்டிருந்தான்.

Speakers

• Narrator (within the Andhaka cycle) addressing Bhārgava (likely Aurva/another Bhṛgu-line sage as interlocutor
• per chapter framing).

Key Themes

• Suffering and concealment
• Family bonds (mother’s search)
• Karma-phala (consequences unfolding over time)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the addressee called “Bhārgava” here?

“Bhārgava” functions as an honorific vocative for a sage of the Bhṛgu lineage, indicating the narrative is being recited within a sage-to-sage dialogue frame typical of Purāṇic storytelling.

What does “śilayācitam” imply about the well?

It suggests the well’s mouth was blocked or sealed by a stone slab (or stones piled like a plug), emphasizing concealment and the victim’s helpless confinement.

Is any tīrtha or named place indicated in this verse?

No. Only a generic “kūpa” (well) is mentioned; the verse does not supply a named sacred geography marker.