Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 90

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मन् प्रदीयतां मह्यमाज्ञा तात वदस्व माम यावदेनं निहन्म्यद्य शरेणैकेन वानरम्

Transliteration

brahman pradīyatāṃ mahyamājñā tāta vadasva māma yāvadenaṃ nihanmyadya śareṇaikena vānaram

Translation

హే బ్రాహ్మణా, నాకు ఆజ్ఞ ప్రసాదించండి. తాతా, నాకు చెప్పండి—ఈ రోజు ఒక్క బాణంతోనే ఈ వానరాన్ని సంహరించేందుకు.

Speakers

• Śakuni addressing Jābāli (a Brahman/maharṣi)
• requesting authorization to kill the vānara.

Key Themes

• Seeking sanction from spiritual authority
• Kṣatriya violence under brahmin oversight
• Ethics of killing
• Pride in martial prowess (one-arrow boast)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Śakuni ask a Brahman (Jābāli) for ‘ājñā’ before killing?

Purāṇic-epic polity often frames force as legitimate only when aligned with dharma and sanctioned by higher authority (brahminical counsel, royal law, or divine command). The request for ājñā signals an attempt—sincere or strategic—to place the act within a dharmic procedure rather than mere personal vengeance.

What does ‘vānara’ imply here—Hanumān’s race, a tribe, or a literal monkey?

In Purāṇic diction, vānara can denote a literal monkey or a monkey-like being/tribe. Without additional context from surrounding verses, the safest reading is literal ‘monkey’; however, narrative cycles sometimes use vānara for semi-divine or heroic beings, so the referent should be confirmed from adjacent ślokas.

Is the ‘single arrow’ motif meaningful beyond boasting?

Yes. ‘Śareṇa ekena’ is a stock marker of heroic confidence and imminent violence; it also sets up a potential dharmic critique—whether such ease of killing is righteous, necessary, or impulsive—often answered by the sage’s response in the next verse.