Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 21

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Andhaka’s Challenge to Shiva

Devanagari script

स ताश्चाह तिमिर्मुग्धाः यूयं धर्मं न जानथ जनापवादं घोरं हि न शक्तः सोढुमुल्बणम्

Transliteration

sa tāścāha timirmugdhāḥ yūyaṃ dharmaṃ na jānatha janāpavādaṃ ghoraṃ hi na śaktaḥ soḍhumulbaṇam

Translation

اس نے ان سے کہا— ‘تاریکی میں فریفتہ ہو کر تم دھرم کو نہیں جانتیں؛ لوگوں کی ہولناک اور نہایت بھاری بدنامی کوئی برداشت نہیں کر سکتا۔’

Speakers

• Galava (ṛṣi) addressing the matsya-kanyās (and/or the two maidens present in the episode)

Key Themes

• Dharma and social ethics
• Restraint (saṃyama) even at tīrthas
• Public reproach (lokāpavāda) as a moral deterrent
• Purity of pilgrimage conduct

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Galava invoke ‘janāpavāda’ (public reproach) rather than only sin (pāpa)?

Purāṇic dharma discourse often treats social order as a visible expression of dharma. ‘Janāpavāda’ signals that unethical conduct damages both personal integrity and communal moral ecology—especially in a tīrtha where exemplary behavior is expected.

What does ‘timira-mugdhāḥ’ imply about the maidens’ state?

It is a moral-psychological diagnosis: ‘darkness’ stands for ignorance and infatuation that obscures discernment. The phrase frames their behavior as arising from delusion rather than informed dharmic choice, making admonition meaningful.

How does this verse relate to the sacred geography of Puṣkara?

By placing a dharma teaching inside a named tīrtha setting, the text links geography with conduct: Puṣkara is not only a location granting merit through bathing, but also a moral landscape where restraint and reputation (sadācāra) are integral to the tīrtha’s sanctity.