Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 4

Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode

Devanagari script

प्रालेयाद्रिं समागम्य तीर्थे बदरिकाश्रमे गृमन्तौ तत्परं ब्रह्म गङ्गाया विपुले तटे

Transliteration

prāleyādriṃ samāgamya tīrthe badarikāśrame gṛmantau tatparaṃ brahma gaṅgāyā vipule taṭe

Translation

ولمّا بلغا الجبل المكسوّ بالثلج (الهيمالايا) والمَعبر المقدّس في باداريكاشراما، أقاما هناك، منصرفين إلى البراهمان الأسمى، على الضفة الفسيحة لنهر الغانغا.

Word by Word

• प्रालेयाद्रिम्: the Prāleya mountain (snowy mountain)
• प्रालेयाद्रिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रालेय + अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (snowy mountain)

• समागम्य: having reached
• समागम्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having reached/approached’

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• बदरिकाश्रमे: in the Badarikā hermitage
• बदरिकाश्रमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बदरिक + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (badarikāyāḥ āśramaḥ)

• गृमन्तौ: the two (mountain-)dwellers / the two ascetics
• गृमन्तौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; (पाठभेद/रूपभेद सम्भवः—अर्थतः ‘गिरिमन्तौ/गिरिमन्तौ’ इव ‘mountain-dwellers’; here taken as a dual epithet of the two sages)

• तत्परम्: devoted to that (supreme)
• तत्परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tasmin param = devoted to that)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman, the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गङ्गायाः: of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विपुले: broad, extensive
• विपुले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तटे)

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (commonly within Pulastya–Nārada dialogue framework)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Nara-Narayana

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahatmya (sacred place framing)
• Tapas and Brahman-realization
• Vaishnavism
• Sacred geography of the Himalaya

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse presents sacred geography as an aid to realization: dwelling in a tīrtha and living with one-pointedness toward Brahman exemplifies how place, practice, and intention converge in the pursuit of liberation.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This aligns most closely with Carita/Vamśānucarita-style narration (accounts of divine-sage activity) and also functions as a tīrtha-oriented passage (often a Purāṇic mode adjacent to dharma instruction rather than the five classical lakṣaṇas).

What is the symbolic significance?

Prāleyādri (snow-mountain) suggests purity and austerity; Gaṅgā signifies purification and divine descent; Badarikāśrama symbolizes the hermitage ideal—together mapping an inner ascent where the mind becomes ‘broad-banked’ and steady in Brahman.