Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 60

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

Devanagari script

ततो वाक्यं मुनिः प्राह इन्द्रद्युम्नं ऋतध्वजः राजन् नष्टऽबलास्माकं नन्दयन्तीति विश्रुता

Transliteration

tato vākyaṃ muniḥ prāha indradyumnaṃ ṛtadhvajaḥ rājan naṣṭa'balāsmākaṃ nandayantīti viśrutā

Translation

Bấy giờ hiền giả Ṛtadhvaja nói với vua Indradyumna: “Muôn tâu Đại vương, người đời đều truyền rằng có một linh lực/thánh địa mang tên ‘Nandayantī’, có thể phục hồi sức lực cho kẻ đã suy kiệt.”

Speakers

• Ṛtadhvaja addressing King Indradyumna (within the Saro-mahātmya narration)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Healing/restoration through sacred geography
• Royal quest motif
• Fame (viśruti) of holy places

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is ‘Nandayantī’—a goddess, a river, or a tīrtha?

In māhātmya-style chapters, such feminine-named terms frequently denote a tīrtha (often a water-source) whose ‘śakti’ is personified. The verse frames Nandayantī primarily by function—restoring lost strength—suggesting a sanctified place or water rather than a purely mythic person.

Why is ‘loss of strength’ (naṣṭa-bala) important in tīrtha narratives?

It provides a human problem that sacred geography resolves. Purāṇic tīrthas are mapped not only by location but by specific benefits (phala): curing afflictions, restoring vitality, granting progeny, removing sin, etc.

Who is Indradyumna in Purāṇic tradition?

Indradyumna is a recurring royal figure in Purāṇas, often linked with piety, temple-building, or sacred quests. Here he functions as the addressed king whose aid is sought in locating or accessing the famed Nandayantī.