Vamana Purana — Jabali Bound by the Monkey, Shloka 69

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

Devanagari script

ताश्च सर्वाल्लतापाशान् दृष्ट्वान् स समन्ततः दृष्ट्वा स मुनिपुत्रं तं स्वजटासंयतं वटे

Transliteration

tāśca sarvāllatāpāśān dṛṣṭvān sa samantataḥ dṛṣṭvā sa muniputraṃ taṃ svajaṭāsaṃyataṃ vaṭe

Translation

At nang makita niya sa paligid ang lahat ng mga silo na yari sa baging, nakita niya roon ang anak ng pantas sa punong banyan, na nakagapos sa sarili niyang jata, ang buhol-buhol na buhok.

Speakers

• Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator) continuing the description; interlocutors not stated in the given verses.

Key Themes

• Bondage and release motif
• Ascetic identity (jaṭā) turned into restraint
• Adharma against sages’ families
• Preparation for protective action

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of ‘latā-pāśa’ (creeper-nooses) in Purāṇic storytelling?

Latā-pāśa evokes both literal entanglement and symbolic bondage—nature itself becoming a snare. In tīrtha narratives it often signals a liminal spot where danger, penance, and eventual liberation converge.

Why mention that he is bound by his own jaṭā (matted hair)?

Jaṭā is a marker of tapas and renunciation. Being ‘bound by one’s own jaṭā’ intensifies the pathos: the very emblem of ascetic power is inverted into an instrument of restraint, underscoring the urgency of rescue and the violation of dharma.

Does this verse indicate who bound him?

Not directly. It describes the condition (nooses of creepers; bound by his own hair) but does not name the agent. The following verse’s mention of ‘rakṣaṃs’ (a rākṣasa/demon) supplies the likely perpetrator.