Vamana Purana — Jabali Bound by the Monkey, Shloka 30

Jabali Bound by the Monkey: Nandayanti’s Ordeal and the Yamuna–Hiranyavati Sacred Corridor

Devanagari script

पञ्चवर्षसहस्राणि बाल एव भविष्यसि दशवर्षसहस्राणि सुमारत्वे चरिष्यसि

Transliteration

pañcavarṣasahasrāṇi bāla eva bhaviṣyasi daśavarṣasahasrāṇi sumāratve cariṣyasi

Translation

“Sa loob ng limang libong taon, mananatili kang isang bata lamang; sa loob ng sampung libong taon, mamumuhay ka sa kalagayang ganap na kabataan at kasiglahan.”

Speakers

• Father speaking to the newly named ‘Jābālī’ (as reported by the narrator); the narrator continues addressing a listener (‘śubhānane’) from the prior verse’s frame.

Key Themes

• Extraordinary longevity and altered life-stages
• Boon/cosmic time-scales typical of Purāṇic narrative
• Predestination/prophetic speech

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is this to be read literally (thousands of years as human years) or as a Purāṇic time idiom?

Purāṇas frequently use expanded time-scales to mark a figure as semi-divine, blessed, or under a special vow/curse. Without additional context, it can be read as literal extraordinary longevity within the narrative world, while also functioning as a literary signal of exceptional status.

What does ‘sumāratve’ mean here?

The compound suggests a ‘good/ideal condition of māratva,’ i.e., prime youthful vigor/attractiveness/strength. In context it contrasts with ‘bāla’ (childhood) and anticipates later stages (youth, increased potency, and then bondage in the next verse).

Why would a father pronounce such life-stage durations?

In Purāṇic storytelling, elders, sages, or fathers often speak with quasi-oracular authority—either due to tapas, divine favor, or narrative convention—setting the trajectory for later events (e.g., trials, bondage, liberation, or tīrtha-related merit).