Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 67

Shiva’s Kedara-Tirtha and the Rise of Mura: From Shaiva Pilgrimage to Vaishnava Theology

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच शृणुष्व गुह्यं परमं परमेष्ठिप्रभाषितम् श्रतं सनत्कुमारेम तेनाख्यातं च तन्मम

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca śṛṇuṣva guhyaṃ paramaṃ parameṣṭhiprabhāṣitam śrataṃ sanatkumārema tenākhyātaṃ ca tanmama

Translation

قال بولستيا: «اسمع السرَّ الأسمى الذي نطق به باراميشْثين (براهما). لقد سمعته من سَنَتْكومارا، وهو بدوره رواه لي».

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (शृणु-ष्व)

• गुह्यम्: a secret (teaching)
• गुह्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (गुह्यम् इति)

• परमेष्ठि-प्रभाषितम्: spoken by the Creator (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठि-प्रभाषितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाषित (प्रातिपदिक; √भाष्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (परमेष्ठिनः प्रभाषितम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (heard)

• सनत्कुमारात्: from Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत्कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/through him
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आख्यातम्: was narrated/declared
• आख्यातम्: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: that (teaching)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

Speakers

• Pulastya speaking (to Nārada
• implied by the dialogue sequence)

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Guru-śiṣya paramparā (lineage of transmission)
• Guhya-jñāna (esoteric doctrine)
• Authority of Brahmā’s speech (śruti-like framing)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse emphasize that the teaching was ‘spoken by Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)’?

Purāṇic discourse often establishes prāmāṇya (authority) by tracing a teaching to Brahmā, then through a recognized sage (here Sanatkumāra) to the present speaker (Pulastya). This frames the content as ancient, reliable, and not merely personal opinion.

Who is Sanatkumāra in Purāṇic tradition?

Sanatkumāra is one of the Kumāras—mind-born sons of Brahmā—depicted as eternally youthful and devoted to jñāna and vairāgya. He frequently serves as a transmitter of subtle dharma and metaphysical instruction.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographical marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This is a narrative preface establishing the chain of instruction; the geographical/tīrtha material appears in surrounding sections rather than in this specific śloka.