Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 76

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

Devanagari script

दास्ते गृहं हिरण्यं च वाजिनः स्यन्दनान् गजान् प्रयच्छाम्यद्य भवतो व्रियतामीप्सितं विभो

Transliteration

dāste gṛhaṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca vājinaḥ syandanān gajān prayacchāmyadya bhavato vriyatāmīpsitaṃ vibho

Translation

{"scene_description": "Vamana, serene and radiant, addresses the asura-king (here named Dhundhu) with a welfare-giving statement; Bali listens attentively amid the sacrificial setting.", "primary_figures": ["Vamana", "Dhundhu/Bali (asura lord)", "brahmins", "attendants"], "setting": "Yajna pavilion with fire altar; Vamana standing with staff and water-pot, king seated", "color_palette": ["saffron", "gold", "white", "deep green", "sky blue"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore, Vamana as divine brahmin with halo, gold-leaf background, staff (danda) and kamandalu, speaking to crowned asura king, yajna-kunda and ritual vessels, iconic frontal arrangement", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, gentle dialogue scene, Vamana small-bodied with luminous aura, king leaning forward to listen, soft pastel pavilion, delicate gestures emphasizing counsel", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, Vamana with bold halo and crisp outlines, king in ornate attire, fire altar central, symmetrical temple aesthetic, earthy pigments", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra, stylized Vamana with speech-scroll, asura king seated, patterned floor and borders, narrative clarity with folk ornamentation"}

Speakers

• Bali addressing the Brahmin petitioner(s) (dvijas)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vamana—contextual)
• Bali

Key Themes

• Dana (charity)
• Royal resources as sacrificial merit
• Hospitality and patronage
• Material abundance offered for religious ends

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of listing horses, chariots, and elephants?

These are classic emblems of royal power and wealth (rājya-śrī). By offering them freely, Bali demonstrates that his dāna is not marginal but touches the very instruments of sovereignty.

How should “vibho” be understood here?

In this context it functions as a respectful vocative—“venerable/mighty sir”—addressed to the Brahmin recipient. In avatāra narratives, such honorifics can also carry dramatic irony when the ‘Brahmin’ is Vishnu in disguise, though that identification is not explicit in this verse.

Does this verse contribute to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s sacred geography?

No. It is a gift-enumeration verse within the Bali narrative and contains no explicit toponyms (rivers, tirthas, forests, or regions).