Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 32

Vamana’s Birth during Bali’s Horse-Sacrifice and the Mapping of Vishnu’s Sacred Presences

Devanagari script

शुक्रेणाश्वः श्वेतवर्णो मधुमासे सुलक्णः महीं विहर्तुमुत्सृष्टस्तारकाक्षो ऽन्वगाच्च तम्

Transliteration

śukreṇāśvaḥ śvetavarṇo madhumāse sulakṇaḥ mahīṃ vihartumutsṛṣṭastārakākṣo 'nvagācca tam

Translation

By Śukra (the preceptor), a white sacrificial horse—well-marked and auspicious—was released in the month of Madhu to roam over the earth; and Tārakākṣa followed after it.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the Purāṇic dialogue (reciter describing the aśvamedha sequence to the listener).

Primary Deities

• Śukra (Śukrācārya)
• Viṣṇu

Key Themes

• Aśvamedha procedure (release of the horse)
• Auspicious marks (lakṣaṇa)
• Temporal marker (Madhu-māsa)
• Asura/retinue participation (Tārakākṣa)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of releasing the horse ‘to roam over the earth’ (mahīṃ vihartum)?

In the aśvamedha motif, the horse’s free roaming asserts the sacrificer’s sovereignty; any challenger who stops it contests that authority. The phrase encapsulates the political-theological dimension of the rite.

Why specify Madhu-māsa?

Purāṇic narration often anchors ritual acts in auspicious calendrical time. Madhu-māsa (a spring month) is associated with renewal and favorable omens, reinforcing the rite’s auspiciousness.

Who is Tārakākṣa in this context?

The verse presents Tārakākṣa as the follower/escort of the sacrificial horse—typically a guardian figure ensuring the horse’s passage and responding to challenges. Without additional nearby verses, his precise identity (asura/warrior/attendant) remains contextual but his function is clear.