Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 19

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

किं वा त्वया द्विजश्रेष्ठ पौराणी न श्रुता कथा या वृत्ता मलये पूर्वं कोशकारसुतस्य तु

Transliteration

kiṃ vā tvayā dvijaśreṣṭha paurāṇī na śrutā kathā yā vṛttā malaye pūrvaṃ kośakārasutasya tu

Translation

[{"question": "Why is Śukra (Asura-guru) associated with ‘yajñavidhi’?", "answer": "Purāṇas often portray Śukra as a master of ritual, polity, and sacred knowledge on the Asura side. This verse highlights that sacrificial order is not exclusive to Devas; Asuras too maintain Vedic-style rites under Śukra’s guidance."}, {"question": "What is implied by the departure of Gautama, Aṅgiras, and other vipras?", "answer": "Their departure signals a rupture in the usual Brahmanical custodianship of sacrifice. The narrative then pivots to an alternative ritual administration—Śukra stepping in—showing how authority over yajña can shift with cosmic and political circumstances."}, {"question": "Does this verse add any new tīrtha-geography data?", "answer": "Not directly. Its contribution is contextual: it explains a change in ritual leVamana Purana,64,20,VamP 64.20,śukra uvāca kathayasva mahābāho kośakārasutāśrayām kathāṃ paurāṇikīṃ puṇyāṃ mahākautūhalaṃ hi me,शुक्र उवाच कथयस्व महाबाहो कोशकारसुताश्रयाम् कथां पौराणिकीं पुण्यां महाकौतूहलं हि मे,Vamana-Bali Narrative,Dialogue / Request for narration (Kathā-yācñā),Adhyāya 64 (Title: Kośakārasuta-kathā—Prelude in the Malaya region),64.20,śukra uvāca kathayasva mahābāho kośakārasutāśrayām kathāṃ paurāṇikīṃ puṇyāṃ mahākautūhalaṃ hi me,śukra uvāca kathayasva mahābāho kośakārasutāśrayām kathāṃ paurāṇikīṃ puṇyāṃ mahākautūhalaṃ hi me,Śukra said: “Tell (it)

Speakers

• (Narrative frame) A speaker addresses a brāhmaṇa interlocutor (dvijaśreṣṭha)
• introducing a well-known Purāṇic story.

Key Themes

• Kathā-prastāva (story-introduction)
• Authority of Purāṇic tradition
• Sacred geography as narrative setting

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the text emphasize that the story is ‘Purāṇic’ (paurāṇī kathā)?

Calling it ‘Purāṇic’ signals that the account belongs to the recognized corpus of sacred tradition—meant to be heard (śravaṇa), remembered, and transmitted—rather than being a merely local anecdote. It also frames the narrative as carrying dharmic and tīrtha-related significance.

What is the significance of locating the episode in ‘Malaya’?

In Purāṇic geography, Malaya denotes a southern mountainous tract associated with forests, rivers, and pilgrimage circuits. Naming Malaya anchors the tale in a specific sacred landscape, consistent with the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographical orientation.

Who is the ‘kośakārasuta’ and why mention his social identity?

The ‘son of the kośakāra (silk-worker/weaver)’ marks the protagonist by occupation and lineage, a common Purāṇic technique to highlight dharma operating across social strata and to foreground a morally exemplary episode arising outside royal or priestly elites.