Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 137

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

Devanagari script

गालं तपसो योनिं दृष्ट्वा माहिष्मतीमनु समुत्पत्यानयच्छीघ्रं सप्तगोदावरं जलम्

Transliteration

gālaṃ tapaso yoniṃ dṛṣṭvā māhiṣmatīmanu samutpatyānayacchīghraṃ saptagodāvaraṃ jalam

Translation

见到伽罗（Gāla）——苦行（tapas）之本源——他纵身而起，迅速携来七重戈达瓦丽（Sapta-Godāvarī）之水，循流向摩醯湿摩底（Māhiṣmatī）而去。

Speakers

• Narrative voice continuing the episode; explicit interlocutors not stated in the verse.

Key Themes

• Tapas as a sanctifying source (tapas-yonitva)
• River sanctity and ritual water transport
• Interlinking of tīrthas via narrative movement

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is meant by “tapaso yoni” (‘source of tapas’) in relation to Gāla?

The phrase elevates Gāla as a paradigmatic seat or embodiment of ascetic power—either a great ṛṣi/ascetic or a place famed for austerities. In Purāṇic idiom, calling someone/somewhere a ‘yoni’ of tapas marks it as a generator of spiritual potency that sanctifies associated waters and rites.

How should “Sapta-Godāvarī” be understood—seven rivers or a sacred epithet?

It can denote the Godāvarī conceived in seven streams/branches (a ‘sevenfold’ river system) or a ritually intensified designation implying completeness and heightened merit. Purāṇic geography often uses such numerically marked forms (sapta-) to signal a cluster of tīrthas or distributaries treated as a sacred set.

Why is Māhiṣmatī mentioned alongside Godāvarī, given Māhiṣmatī’s usual association with the Narmadā region?

Purāṇic itineraries frequently juxtapose distant or cross-regional sites to create a sacral network rather than a strictly modern cartographic map. Māhiṣmatī functions as a recognized geographic anchor; the narrative may be indicating a route, a ritual destination, or a thematic linkage of famed tīrthas across regions.