Vamana Purana — Harihara Revelation, Shloka 51

Harihara Revelation and the Kurukshetra Tirtha Cycle: Sthanu in Vishnu and the Sanctification of Saptasarasvata

Devanagari script

तावेवमुक्तौ पुत्रेण योगाचार्यं पितामहम् उक्तवन्तौ प्रभो ऽयं हि आवयोस्तनयस्तव

Transliteration

tāvevamuktau putreṇa yogācāryaṃ pitāmaham uktavantau prabho 'yaṃ hi āvayostanayastava

Translation

Thus addressed by their son, the two spoke to the Grandfather, the teacher of yoga: “O Lord, this one is indeed your son—(born) of us.”

Speakers

• The parents (a couple) speaking to Pitāmaha (the ‘Grandfather’
• yoga-teacher)
• prompted by their son

Primary Deities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā, implied by epithet)

Key Themes

• Guru-śiṣya relationship
• Legitimation of lineage/discipleship
• Yoga as transmitted knowledge
• Authority of Pitāmaha/Brahmā

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Pitāmaha’ here—Brahmā or a human grandfather?

In Purāṇic diction, ‘Pitāmaha’ most commonly denotes Brahmā, the cosmic progenitor. The added epithet ‘yogācārya’ strengthens the reading that this is a primordial, authoritative teacher rather than merely a family elder, though some recensions can use it honorifically for a venerable ancestor.

What is the narrative function of declaring “this is your son”?

It frames a transfer of affiliation: the child is being presented as belonging to (or to be accepted by) the Pitāmaha as ‘your son’—a Purāṇic way of expressing adoption into a spiritual lineage, discipleship, or consecrated guardianship.

Does this verse connect to tirtha-geography?

Not directly. In the Vāmana Purāṇa, such interpersonal and yogic transmissions often occur within a larger pilgrimage/topographical discourse, but this particular śloka contains no explicit place-name or hydrography.