Vamana Purana — Shukra's Curse on King Danda, Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

ततो ऽस्मि वेगाद् बलिना हृतानलसखेन हि समानीतास्मयहमिमं त्वं दृष्टा चाद्य सुन्दरि

Transliteration

tato 'smi vegād balinā hṛtānalasakhena hi samānītāsmayahamimaṃ tvaṃ dṛṣṭā cādya sundari

Translation

随后我被那强者迅疾掳去——确是火神（阿耆尼，Agni）之友。我被带到此处，而今得见于你，妙丽之人。

Speakers

• Same first-person speaker addressing ‘sundarī’ (a female addressee) within the narrative frame.

Primary Deities

• Agni (Anala)

Key Themes

• Abduction/transport motif in tīrtha-narratives
• Agni-associated beings and liminal movement
• Encounter (darśana) as narrative pivot

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘the friend of Fire’ (anala-sakha) likely to be?

Without additional surrounding verses, the epithet can denote a being closely linked to Agni—such as a celestial attendant, a yakṣa-like guardian, or a mythic figure whose power is fire-adjacent. Purāṇas often use such epithets to keep the agent partially concealed until later disclosure.

What is the narrative function of being ‘carried off swiftly’ (vegād hṛtā)?

Rapid transport is a common Purāṇic device to move characters from ordinary space into sacred space. It signals transition into a tīrtha-zone where extraordinary events, revelations, or dharma-instructions occur.

Does ‘today I have seen you’ (adya tvāṃ dṛṣṭā) imply a ritual ‘darśana’?

It can. While it may be simple meeting language, in tīrtha contexts ‘darśana’ often carries a sacral nuance: the sight of a person (or deity) becomes auspicious and can mark the beginning of a transformative exchange.