Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 36
Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti
प्रह्लाद उवाच भगवन् कानि तीर्थानि पृथिव्यां कानि चाम्बरे रसातले च कानि स्युरेतद् वक्तुं ममार्हसि
prahlāda uvāca bhagavan kāni tīrthāni pṛthivyāṃ kāni cāmbare rasātale ca kāni syuretad vaktuṃ mamārhasi
قال برهلادا: «يا بهاجافان، ما هي التيِرثا (المعابر المقدّسة) في الأرض، وما التي في السماء، وما الذي قد يكون في رَساطَلا؟ يليق بك أن تُخبرني بهذا».
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FAQs
Prahlāda’s question models the dhārmic posture of inquiry: sacredness is not merely local but pervades multiple planes of existence, and the seeker should learn from a qualified authority (guru/ṛṣi).
This functions as a gateway into tīrtha-mahātmya material (often embedded within carita). It is not itself sarga/pratisarga, but it cues cosmographic and didactic exposition typical of Purāṇas.
By asking for tīrthas in earth, sky, and Rasātala, the text suggests that “crossings” (tīrtha = ford) exist for every level of being—outer pilgrimage mirrors inner transition from bondage to liberation.