Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 7

Vamana’s Birth during Bali’s Horse-Sacrifice and the Mapping of Vishnu’s Sacred Presences

Devanagari script

देविकाया जले स्नात्वा पयोष्ण्यां चैव तापसाः अवतीर्णा मुने स्नातुमात्रेयाद्याः शुभां नदीम्

Transliteration

devikāyā jale snātvā payoṣṇyāṃ caiva tāpasāḥ avatīrṇā mune snātumātreyādyāḥ śubhāṃ nadīm

Translation

Having bathed in the waters of the Devikā, and likewise in the Payoṣṇī, the ascetics—O sage—then descended to bathe in the auspicious river, beginning with Ātreya and others.

Speakers

• Narrator-sage addressing a Devarṣi (likely Pulastya to Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Devī (implicit in river-name Devikā as ‘the divine/feminine one’ in Purāṇic toponymy)
• Īśvara (implicit, as tīrtha networks commonly orbit Śaiva/Śākta shrines)

Key Themes

• Pilgrimage mapping through rivers
• Ascetic authority as validation of tīrtha merit
• Sequential snāna across multiple nadīs

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does the mention of ‘Ātreya and others’ contribute to the passage?

Naming a recognized Vedic lineage-sage (Ātreya) functions as a ‘credential’ for the tīrtha: if such authoritative ascetics undertake snāna here, the site’s sanctity is implicitly affirmed for later pilgrims.

Why are multiple rivers listed in quick succession?

This is characteristic of Purāṇic sacred geography: the text often presents a yātrā-chain (a route) rather than a single isolated site. The merit is tied to movement through a network of waters and shrines.

Does ‘avatīrṇāḥ’ imply a specific ritual action beyond ordinary bathing?

Yes. In tīrtha usage it suggests a deliberate descent to the river (often from a higher bank/ghāṭa) and entry into the water as a formal rite, not merely washing—signaling pilgrimage discipline and intentionality.