Vāmana, Disciple of Drauṇi

Vāmana

Vāmana has other meanings too: see all meanings of Vāmana.

Vāmana is a young brāhmaṇa archer in the Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa. He was a disciple of Drauṇi, knew the science of weapons, and was skilled in the śabdavedhī arrow, which strikes a target by sound alone. He is not Bhagavān Vāmana, the avatāra of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

The account of Mahādevī

The Vaitāla tells this account to King Vikramāditya. Haridāsa’s daughter Mahādevī asked to be given only to a man greater in qualities than herself. Meanwhile Bhaktimālā, his wife, was impressed by Vāmana’s skill. She honoured him with dakshiṇā, tāmbūla and the like and chose him for her daughter. Haridāsa had already chosen the brāhmaṇa Buddhikovida, and their son Mukunda had promised her to Dhīmān, his guru’s son.

When the three came to receive her, a rākshasa carried Mahādevī off by his māyā to the Vindhya mountain. Dhīmān said where she was. Buddhikovida took the other two there in his sky-going vimāna. Then Vāmana set an arrow to his bow and slew the rākshasa with it. The three recovered Mahādevī and returned to Ujjayinī.

They disputed who had the right to marry her, and the Vaitāla put the question to Vikramāditya. The king answered that Dhīmān, who told where she was, is like a father to the girl, and Buddhikovida, who brought her by his vimāna, is like a brother. But the young brāhmaṇa Vāmana, who fought the rākshasa with śabdavedhī arrows and struck him down, is the rightful one to receive her.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 2, Chapters 1–23

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 2, Chapters 1–23