Vamana Purana — Jabali Bound by the Monkey, Shloka 66

Jabali Bound by the Monkey: Nandayanti’s Ordeal and the Yamuna–Hiranyavati Sacred Corridor

Devanagari script

तन्मुनेर्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य पिता मम कृशोदरि आदिदेश प्रियं पुत्रं शकुनिं तापसान्वये

Transliteration

tanmunervākyamākarṇya pitā mama kṛśodari ādideśa priyaṃ putraṃ śakuniṃ tāpasānvaye

Translation

听闻那位牟尼的言辞后，我的父亲——噢，纤腰者——便命令他心爱的儿子释拘尼（Śakuni），出自苦行仙裔之族。

Speakers

• A narrator recounting events to a female addressee (kṛśodari); the father issues an order to his son Śakuni after hearing a sage.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Authority of a sage’s counsel
• Ascetic lineages and specialized knowledge
• Familial duty and obedience
• Narrative framing (address to a woman)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘kṛśodarī’ being addressed?

Kṛśodarī is a descriptive vocative (‘slender-waisted woman’) used as an address to the listener within the frame-story. The excerpt alone does not name her; it signals that the narration is being delivered to a female interlocutor.

What is meant by ‘tāpasānvaye’ (ascetic lineage) in a context involving astravidhi?

Purāṇas often place technical or esoteric competencies—mantras, astras, countermeasures—within disciplined lineages. ‘Tāpasānvaya’ indicates that Śakuni’s expertise is grounded in an ascetic tradition, not merely martial training.

Why does the father act immediately upon the sage’s words?

The verse highlights the normative hierarchy: a muni’s instruction carries decisive authority, prompting swift executive action by the household head, especially in matters involving extraordinary restraints or dangers.