Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 86

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

Devanagari script

पतता वासुदेवेन दानवोपरि नारद त्रिंशद्योजनसाहस्री भूमेर्गर्ता दृढीकृता

Transliteration

patatā vāsudevena dānavopari nārada triṃśadyojanasāhasrī bhūmergartā dṛḍhīkṛtā

Translation

O Nārada, as Vāsudeva descended upon the Dānava, a firm pit in the earth—measuring thirty thousand yojanas—was formed.

Speakers

• Narrator (traditionally Pulastya) addressing Nārada (vocative ‘nārada’ in the verse)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vāsudeva)

Key Themes

• Divine intervention against Daityas/Dānavas
• Cosmic-scale geography and measurement (yojana)
• Protection of the worlds through avatāric power

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘thirty thousand yojanas’ signify here—literal geography or epic hyperbole?

Purāṇic narration frequently uses yojana-measures to convey cosmic magnitude rather than cartographic precision. Here it signals that the event is world-shaping: the Lord’s descent produces a vast, stabilized chasm, emphasizing divine sovereignty over terrestrial form.

Is this verse tied to a specific tīrtha or named place in the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geography?

Not in this line. The verse only mentions ‘bhūmi’ (earth) and a ‘gartā’ (pit). If the surrounding chapter later names a site, this pit may become etiological (explaining a landmark), but verse 86 itself contains no explicit toponym.

Why is Nārada addressed here?

The vocative ‘nārada’ marks the didactic frame: a sage-to-sage transmission. It also cues the listener that the account is being narrated as authoritative sacred history (itihāsa-purāṇa style), not merely as a standalone myth.