Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

ततोम्बरतलाद् वृक्षं निपतन्तं यदृच्छया ददृशुः सर्वभूतानि स्तावराणि चराणि च

Transliteration

tatombaratalād vṛkṣaṃ nipatantaṃ yadṛcchayā dadṛśuḥ sarvabhūtāni stāvarāṇi carāṇi ca

Translation

Bấy giờ, tình cờ, mọi loài hữu tình—cả bất động lẫn động vật—đều trông thấy một cây đang rơi xuống từ mặt trời không (tầng trời).

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing events to the listening interlocutor (contextually within Pulastya–Nārada style Saromāhātmya narration).

Key Themes

• Portent/omen (nimitta)
• Cosmic wonder (adbhuta)
• Tīrtha-mahātmya narrative framing

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is a ‘tree falling from the sky’ significant in Purāṇic narrative style?

Such adbhuta (marvel) imagery functions as a nimitta (omen) marking a transition in the story—often signaling impending misfortune, divine intervention, or the revelation of a prior curse/boon. The text emphasizes universal perception (‘all beings’) to heighten the portent’s cosmic scope.

What is implied by ‘sthāvara’ and ‘cara’ seeing the event?

The pair ‘sthāvara–cara’ is a conventional totalizing expression meaning the entire created order. It underscores that the event is not private but cosmically public—an omen affecting the world-order (loka-dharma) rather than a local accident.

Does this verse itself identify a tīrtha or geographic marker?

No. The verse is descriptive and omenic; geographic specificity typically appears in adjacent verses of the Saromāhātmya where tīrthas, rivers, or lakes are named and their merits explained.