Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

ततस्ताश्चाह स तिमिर्नैष वेत्ति तपोधनः रागान्धो नापि च भयं विजानाति सुबालिशः

Transliteration

tatastāścāha sa timirnaiṣa vetti tapodhanaḥ rāgāndho nāpi ca bhayaṃ vijānāti subāliśaḥ

Translation

Bấy giờ con cá nói với họ: “Vị khổ hạnh này vì bóng tối vô minh nên không hiểu; bị dục ái che mắt, kẻ hết sức ngu si ấy thậm chí không nhận ra nỗi sợ.”

Speakers

• The Mahāmatsya replies to the female speakers (tāḥ)
• offering his interpretation of Gālava’s state.

Key Themes

• Rāga (attachment) as spiritual blindness
• Misrecognition of danger due to delusion
• Irony of ascetic status vs inner state
• Moral psychology in Purāṇic narrative

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is ‘tapodhanaḥ’ here praise or critique?

Contextually it can function with irony: even one reputed as ‘wealthy in tapas’ may be clouded by timira (inner darkness) if rāga dominates. The line juxtaposes ascetic identity with psychological impairment.

What does ‘timira’ signify in Purāṇic moral language?

Beyond literal darkness, timira commonly denotes ignorance, delusion, or obscuration of discernment (viveka). It pairs naturally with ‘blindness’ (andhatā) caused by rāga.

How does this verse connect to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s broader didactic style?

Even within narrative units, the text frequently inserts nīti-like diagnoses—identifying inner causes (rāga, moha) behind outward behavior. Here the fish becomes a moral commentator, turning the episode into a lesson on attachment and discernment.