Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Pilgrimage, Shloka 7

Prahlada’s Pilgrimage and the Origin of the Sudarshana–Trishula Exchange (Jalodbhava Episode)

Devanagari script

ग्रीवास्थैता तथा ज्येष्ठा श्रवणं कर्णयोः स्थितम् मुखसंस्थस्तथा पुष्यः स्वातिर्दन्ताः प्रकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

grīvāsthaitā tathā jyeṣṭhā śravaṇaṃ karṇayoḥ sthitam mukhasaṃsthastathā puṣyaḥ svātirdantāḥ prakīrtitāḥ

Translation

‘Jyeṣṭhā’ is likewise said to abide in the neck. ‘Śravaṇa’ is situated in the ears. ‘Puṣya’ is placed in the mouth, and ‘Svāti’ is proclaimed to be the teeth.

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (didactic cosmological description).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (implicit as cosmic person in Purāṇic cosmology)

Key Themes

• Nakṣatra correspondences
• Ritual-astronomical symbolism
• Embodied cosmology

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Are these correspondences standard across all Purāṇas?

No. While the general idea of a nakṣatra-body mapping is widespread, the exact assignments can vary by text and recension. Such lists function as traditional ‘knowledge maps’ rather than uniform astronomical doctrine.

Why are sensory organs (ears, mouth, teeth) emphasized here?

Purāṇic cosmology often links celestial order with faculties of perception and speech. Ears (hearing), mouth (speech/consumption), and teeth (articulation/chewing) are key interfaces between the inner person and the outer world, making them apt loci for nakṣatra symbolism.

Does this have ritual application?

Typically yes: such mappings can support nyāsa-style contemplations, calendrical observances, or interpretive frameworks for auspicious timing, though the verse itself is descriptive rather than prescriptive.