Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 82

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

Devanagari script

क्रमत्रयं तावदवेक्ष्य दत्तं महासुरेन्द्रेण विभुर्यशस्वी चक्रे ततो लङ्घयितुं त्रिविक्रमं रूपमनन्तशक्तिः

Transliteration

kramatrayaṃ tāvadavekṣya dattaṃ mahāsurendreṇa vibhuryaśasvī cakre tato laṅghayituṃ trivikramaṃ rūpamanantaśaktiḥ

Translation

Having observed that the three strides had indeed been granted by the great lord of the Asuras, the glorious, all-pervading Lord—of infinite power—then assumed the form of Trivikrama in order to overstep (measure) them.

Speakers

• Narrator describing Vishnu’s transformation after Bali’s grant

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Trivikrama/Vāmana)
• Bali

Key Themes

• Theophany (divine manifestation)
• Cosmic measurement (world-ordering)
• Fulfillment and transcendence of a vow
• Sovereignty of Vishnu over the three worlds

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What triggers the shift from Vāmana to Trivikrama in this verse?

The decisive trigger is the confirmed completion of the gift (“having observed the three strides granted”). Once the donation is irrevocably made, the Lord reveals his cosmic form to ‘measure’ what was promised.

Does “laṅghayitum” mean merely ‘to jump over’ or ‘to measure’ the worlds?

In the Trivikrama context it carries the sense of striding across so as to encompass/measure. The verb conveys both physical overstepping and juridical-cosmic claiming of space through the pledged ‘steps.’

How does this verse connect to Purāṇic cosmology?

Trivikrama’s strides conventionally correspond to the three realms (often earth, mid-region/atmosphere, and heaven). The verse signals the transition from a local act of dāna to a cosmic reordering under Vishnu’s all-pervading sovereignty.