Vamana Purana — Merit of the Vamana Purana, Shloka 2

The Merit of Hearing and Reciting the Vamana Purana (Phalaśruti)

Devanagari script

यथा पापानि पूयन्ते गङ्गावारिविगाहनात् तथा पुराणश्रवणाद् दुरितानां विनाशनम्

Transliteration

yathā pāpāni pūyante gaṅgāvārivigāhanāt tathā purāṇaśravaṇād duritānāṃ vināśanam

Translation

Just as sins are cleansed by immersing oneself in the waters of the Gaṅgā, so too, by hearing the Purāṇa, the misdeeds (durita) are destroyed.

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (continuing phalaśruti)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Ganga (as sacred river-deity by implication)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-mahima (via comparison)
• Purification of sin
• Śravaṇa (hearing) as sādhanā
• Equivalence of textual and riverine sanctity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Does the verse claim that hearing a Purāṇa is equal to bathing in the Gaṅgā?

Yes, rhetorically it equates the purificatory effect: Gaṅgā-immersion is a paradigmatic tīrtha act, and Purāṇa-śravaṇa is presented as an equally potent purifier, especially accessible to those unable to travel.

Why is Gaṅgā used as the benchmark?

Across Purāṇic literature, Gaṅgā is the preeminent purifier among rivers; invoking her establishes the highest standard of tīrtha efficacy for comparison.

Is this ‘purification’ moral, ritual, or both?

Purāṇic usage typically includes both: ritual impurity and moral demerit (pāpa/durita). The verse’s ‘duritānāṃ vināśanam’ emphasizes karmic-moral removal, not merely external cleanliness.