Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 98

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Andhaka’s Challenge to Shiva

Devanagari script

न च सो ऽस्ति पुमान् कश्चिद् यचो ह्युन्मोचयितुं क्षमः स ऋषेर्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य कपिर्जाबालिनो जटाः

Transliteration

na ca so 'sti pumān kaścid yaco hyunmocayituṃ kṣamaḥ sa ṛṣervākyamākarṇya kapirjābālino jaṭāḥ

Translation

அவற்றைத் தளர்த்த வல்ல மனிதன் எவரும் இல்லை; ஏனெனில் அவை தளர்த்தத்தக்கவை அல்ல. முனிவரின் சொற்களைக் கேட்ட கபி, ஜாபாலியின் ஜடைகளை அவிழ்க்க முயன்றான்.

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing events; the sage’s statement is reported; the monkey acts in response.

Key Themes

• Power of tapas symbolized by jaṭā
• Service to sages (ṛṣi-sevā)
• Miraculous capability beyond ordinary humans
• Tīrtha-cycle narrative framing

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are Jābāli’s jaṭā described as impossible for any man to loosen?

In Purāṇic idiom, an ascetic’s jaṭā are not merely hair but a sign of accumulated tapas. Declaring them ‘unloosenable’ elevates the sage’s spiritual potency and sets up a wonder: only an extraordinary agent (here, the kapi) can accomplish what ordinary humans cannot.

Who is the ‘kapi’ here—an ordinary monkey or a mythic figure?

The term kapi can denote an actual monkey, but in Purāṇic storytelling it often signals a vanara-like heroic being or a divinely-enabled creature. The narrative function is to introduce a non-human helper whose capacity surpasses human limitation.

Does this verse itself contain geographical data typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Not directly. The verse is part of a larger chapter situated in a tīrtha-mahātmya cycle; the explicit place-names and hydrological markers typically appear in surrounding verses rather than in this single śloka.