Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 10

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच साम्प्रतं भगवान् विष्णुस्त्रैलोक्याक्रमणं वपुः करिष्यति जगत्स्वामी बलेर्बन्धनमीश्वरः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca sāmprataṃ bhagavān viṣṇustrailokyākramaṇaṃ vapuḥ kariṣyati jagatsvāmī balerbandhanamīśvaraḥ

Translation

[{"question": "What does ‘āhnika’ likely include in this context?", "answer": "Āhnika commonly denotes the daily regimen of purity and worship: ācamana, sandhyā-vandana, japa, and in contexts involving pretas, tarpaṇa and related water-offerings. The instruction suggests that the arrival of water/food enables the prescribed rites to proceed correctly."}, {"question": "Why are ‘food’ (anna) and ‘water’ (salila) mentioned together?", "answer": "They represent the minimum ritual and bodily supports: water for purification and libations, and food for sustaining the performer and/or for offerings. In preta-rite narratives, such provisions often function as the turning point that allows the living to complete duties that benefit the departed."}, {"question": "Who is the ‘mahāmatiḥ’ here—an ancestor, a sage, or a guide?", "answer": "The excerpt does not name him. The epithet ‘mahāmatiḥ’ typically marks a knowledgeable guide (ācārya-like figure) within Purāṇic narration, authoritatively directing correct dharma practice for the merchant’s son."}]

Speakers

• Nārada to Pulastya (inquiry initiating the Trivikrama account)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Avatāra doctrine (Vāmana/Trivikrama)
• Cosmic sovereignty of Viṣṇu
• Bali’s subjugation (bandhana)
• Cosmological scope (three worlds)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “trailokyākramaṇaṃ vapuḥ” indicate in Purāṇic idiom?

It signals the Trivikrama manifestation—Viṣṇu’s cosmic expansion in which his ‘steps’ symbolically encompass the three realms (earth, atmosphere, heaven), expressing universal lordship rather than mere physical walking.

Is “binding Bali” purely punitive?

In the Vāmana–Bali cycle, bandhana functions as both restraint of excessive power and a dharmic resolution: Bali’s gift is accepted, his pride is checked, and he is granted a defined realm/status, often with a salvific undertone.

Does this verse contain geographical data typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Not yet. This is a narrative hinge: it frames a cosmological act (three worlds) without naming specific tīrthas or rivers; the geographical detailing typically appears when the text shifts to tīrtha-mahātmyas or regional descriptions.