Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 88

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

Devanagari script

स येव पुनरायाति वानरस्तात वेगवान् पूर्वं जटास्वेव बलाद्योन बद्धो ऽस्मि पादपे

Transliteration

sa yeva punarāyāti vānarastāta vegavān pūrvaṃ jaṭāsveva balādyona baddho 'smi pādape

Translation

Chính con khỉ ấy lại trở về lần nữa, nhanh nhẹn thay, hỡi người thân yêu. Thuở trước, ta đã bị trói buộc bằng sức mạnh—thậm chí ngay trong búi tóc jata—trên một thân cây.

Speakers

• Narrator voice reporting a character’s speech; the ‘tāta’ indicates direct address (speaker likely the monkey or someone describing him; exact identification requires surrounding verses)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

Key Themes

• Bondage and release motif
• Ascetic markers (jaṭā) intersecting with narrative action
• Memory of prior event as etiological hint (why the place/person is significant)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is implied by being ‘bound in the jaṭā’ (matted locks)?

Jaṭā typically signifies an ascetic’s hair. Being ‘bound in the jaṭā’ suggests an encounter with an ascetic (or a figure adopting ascetic marks) where restraint is enacted through spiritual authority—an image common in Purāṇic storytelling to show the dominance of tapas (austerity) over physical strength.

Why mention a tree (pādapa) without naming it?

Generic landscape markers (tree, riverbank, grove) often function as narrative anchors in māhātmya sections. Even when unnamed, they indicate the event occurred within a sacralized micro-topography—useful for pilgrims who navigate by features as well as by toponyms.

Does this verse connect to a broader tīrtha-mahima purpose?

Yes. Such recollections frequently serve as etiological fragments explaining why a locale is ‘supuṇya’ or why a particular bathing-place/route is ritually potent—though the explicit linkage would be clearer with the surrounding verses.