Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 159

Andhaka Challenges Shiva

Devanagari script

गृह्णातु विधिवत् पाणिं दैतेय्यास्तनयस्तव नन्दयन्तीं च शकुनिः परिणेतुं स्वरूपवान्

Transliteration

gṛhṇātu vidhivat pāṇiṃ daiteyyāstanayastava nandayantīṃ ca śakuniḥ pariṇetuṃ svarūpavān

Translation

“Hayaang ang iyong anak—na isinilang sa isang Daiteyī—ay humawak sa kanyang kamay ayon sa wastong ritwal; at hayaang si Śakuni, na may angkop na anyo, ang mag-asawa kay Nandayantī.”

Speakers

• Continuation of Indradyumna’s proposal/instruction (addressing Mṛtadhvaja)

Key Themes

• Vivāha (marriage) and pāṇigrahaṇa
• Inter-lineage alliance (Daitya connection)
• Ritual correctness (vidhivat)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What ritual is indicated by ‘pāṇiṃ gṛhṇātu vidhivat’?

It refers to pāṇigrahaṇa, the formal ‘taking of the hand’—a central act of Vedic/Hindu marriage—here emphasized as to be done ‘vidhivat’, i.e., in accordance with prescribed rites.

Why mention ‘daiteyyāḥ stanayaḥ’ (son of a Daiteyī)?

It foregrounds lineage and alliance: the groom is connected to the Daitya line through his mother (daiteyī). Purāṇic narratives often mark such mixed or cross-lineage unions to explain later genealogies, political ties, or the moral framing of characters.

Is ‘Śakuni’ the same as the Mahābhārata’s Śakuni?

The name is shared across traditions, but identity cannot be assumed from this verse alone. Without corroborating genealogy or contextual markers in adjacent passages, it should be treated as a distinct figure named Śakuni within this chapter’s narrative.