Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

कूपान्तस्थः स तां वाणीं श्रुत्वा मातुर्निशाकरः प्राह प्रदत्ता पित्रा मे कूपोपरि शिला त्वियम्

Transliteration

kūpāntasthaḥ sa tāṃ vāṇīṃ śrutvā māturniśākaraḥ prāha pradattā pitrā me kūpopari śilā tviyam

Translation

นิศากระผู้สถิตอยู่ก้นบ่อ ครั้นได้ยินเสียงมารดาแล้วกล่าวว่า: ‘ศิลาที่ปากบ่อนี้ บิดาของข้าเป็นผู้มอบให้ข้า’

Speakers

• Niśākara (from within the well) addressing his mother (outside)

Primary Deities

• None explicit

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-ākhyāna (etiological legend)
• Family recognition and identity
• Sacred topography centered on a well

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the well (kūpa) emphasized in a Purāṇic context?

In tīrtha-māhātmyas, a specific feature—well, pond, riverbank, tree—often becomes the anchor for sanctity. The narrative explains how that spot acquired fame, ritual relevance, or a name, turning local geography into sacred geography.

Does “Niśākara” here mean the Moon-god?

The word literally means “moon,” but in this passage it functions as a personal name within the story. Purāṇic narratives frequently use deity-epithets as human names, creating layered resonance without requiring the character to be the deity himself.

What is the narrative function of the ‘stone on the well’?

It serves as a concrete identifier and plot device: a physical marker tied to paternal authority and prior action, enabling recognition and advancing the revelation of identity from within the well.