Vamana Purana — Portents at Bali's Sacrifice, Shloka 49

Portents at Bali’s Sacrifice and the Kośakāra’s Son: The Power of Past Karma

Devanagari script

एवं क्षिप्तस्तदा कूपे समतीतेषु भार्गव तस्य मातागमत् कूपं तमन्धं शिलयाचितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ kṣiptastadā kūpe samatīteṣu bhārgava tasya mātāgamat kūpaṃ tamandhaṃ śilayācitam

Translation

Thus, when he had been thrown into the well, O Bhārgava, after some time had passed, his mother came to the well—(finding) that blind one shut in/covered over with a stone.

Speakers

• Narrator (within the Andhaka cycle) addressing Bhārgava (likely Aurva/another Bhṛgu-line sage as interlocutor
• per chapter framing).

Key Themes

• Suffering and concealment
• Family bonds (mother’s search)
• Karma-phala (consequences unfolding over time)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the addressee called “Bhārgava” here?

“Bhārgava” functions as an honorific vocative for a sage of the Bhṛgu lineage, indicating the narrative is being recited within a sage-to-sage dialogue frame typical of Purāṇic storytelling.

What does “śilayācitam” imply about the well?

It suggests the well’s mouth was blocked or sealed by a stone slab (or stones piled like a plug), emphasizing concealment and the victim’s helpless confinement.

Is any tīrtha or named place indicated in this verse?

No. Only a generic “kūpa” (well) is mentioned; the verse does not supply a named sacred geography marker.