Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 123

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

Devanagari script

ततः सुदेवतनयो विश्वकर्मसुतां प्रियाम् दृष्ट्वा हृषितचित्तस्तु संरोहत्पुलको बभौ

Transliteration

tataḥ sudevatanayo viśvakarmasutāṃ priyām dṛṣṭvā hṛṣitacittastu saṃrohatpulako babhau

Translation

Then Sudeva’s son, seeing his beloved—the daughter of Viśvakarman—became joyful at heart, and from that (joy) his hair stood on end (in rapture).

Speakers

• Narrative voice; introduces/continues a subplot involving Sudeva’s son and Viśvakarman’s daughter within the Hāṭakeśvara episode.

Primary Deities

• Vishvakarman

Key Themes

• Interweaving of human/royal lineages with divine artisanship (Viśvakarman)
• Emotive markers (pulaka) as narrative device
• Pilgrimage setting as stage for social/romantic or alliance narratives

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is ‘pulaka’ here devotional ecstasy or romantic emotion?

The immediate trigger is seeing ‘his beloved’ (priyā), so the primary sense is romantic rapture; however, Purāṇic style often allows overlap, since sacred settings intensify all auspicious emotions.

Why identify the woman as ‘Viśvakarman’s daughter’?

It elevates her status and signals connections to divine craftsmanship, architecture, and sacred construction—motifs that often accompany temple/tīrtha narratives and legitimizing genealogies.

How does this verse serve the chapter’s tīrtha focus?

By embedding personal encounters within the pilgrimage scene, the text portrays the tīrtha as a lived social space—where darśana, vows, alliances, and life-events unfold under the deity’s auspices.