Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 95

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

तथापि न शशषैनं तपसो गोपनाय तु तद्भयादाविशद् गौरी श्वेतार्ककुसुमं शुचि

Transliteration

tathāpi na śaśaṣainaṃ tapaso gopanāya tu tadbhayādāviśad gaurī śvetārkakusumaṃ śuci

Translation

ถึงกระนั้นนางก็ไม่อาจซ่อนเขาไว้ด้วยตบะได้ ด้วยความหวาดกลัวเขา นางคौรีผู้บริสุทธิ์จึงเข้าไปสถิตในดอกอรกะสีขาว

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic speaker) addressing a sage (mune) within the Andhaka-vadha narration

Primary Deities

• Parvatī (Gaurī)
• Śiva (implied in Andhaka cycle)

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Devi’s protective concealment
• Fear and refuge (āveśa)
• Ascetic power (tapas) and its limits in narrative tension

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is being ‘concealed’ (gopanāya) and why does Gaurī enter an arka-flower?

Within the Andhaka-vadha narrative complex, the goddess is pursued or threatened (typically by Andhaka’s desire/violence). The verse depicts a concealment motif: Gaurī, unable to hide the targeted person/element through tapas alone, takes refuge by entering a ‘white arka flower,’ a vivid mythic image of hiding in nature.

What is the significance of ‘śvetārka-kusuma’ in Purāṇic symbolism?

Arka (Calotropis) is a well-known ritual plant in Śaiva contexts (often offered to Śiva). Here it functions as a liminal hiding-place: the goddess merges into a pure, white floral form, emphasizing both concealment and sanctity (śuci).

Does this verse contribute to Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographical agenda?

Not directly: it contains no explicit toponyms (rivers, tīrthas, mountains). Its ‘geography’ is micro-symbolic (a plant locus) rather than cartographic sacred geography.