Vamana Purana — Indra's Penance & Aditi's Vow, Shloka 10

Indra’s Penance at the Great River and Aditi’s Solar Vow for Vishnu’s Descent

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच देवेशं वशिष्ठः कश्यपस्तथा हितं सर्वस्य जगतः शक्रस्यापि विशेषतः

Transliteration

brahmā provāca deveśaṃ vaśiṣṭhaḥ kaśyapastathā hitaṃ sarvasya jagataḥ śakrasyāpi viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Brahmā spoke to the lord of the gods; and so too did Vasiṣṭha and Kaśyapa—(speaking) what is beneficial for the whole world, and especially for Śakra.

Speakers

• Brahmā
• with Vasiṣṭha and Kaśyapa
• addressing Indra (deveśa/Śakra)

Primary Deities

• Brahmā
• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Sage-guided kingship
• Dharma as universal welfare (jagat-hita)
• Collective counsel (Brahmā–ṛṣi authority)
• Rehabilitation through right action

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are Vasiṣṭha and Kaśyapa paired with Brahmā in advising Indra?

The triad represents layered authority: Brahmā as cosmic patriarch, and Vasiṣṭha/Kaśyapa as dharma-anchored ṛṣis. Their concurrence legitimizes the remedy as not merely political but universally dharmic (hitaṃ sarvasya jagataḥ).

What does ‘hitaṃ sarvasya jagataḥ’ signal about the purpose of prāyaścitta?

It frames expiation as public-cosmic welfare, not private absolution. Indra’s moral state affects rainfall, order, and deva governance; thus correction is for the world’s stability as well as Indra’s purification.

Is there any geographic/tirtha data embedded in this verse?

No. This śloka is a counsel-summary and contains no explicit toponyms (rivers, forests, tīrthas).