Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 78

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

Devanagari script

सोदरेणापि हि भ्रात्रा ह्रियन्ते यस्य संपदः तस्याक्षमस्य यद्दत्तं किमन्यो न हरिष्यति

Transliteration

sodareṇāpi hi bhrātrā hriyante yasya saṃpadaḥ tasyākṣamasya yaddattaṃ kimanyo na hariṣyati

Translation

Even by a brother born of the same womb, the wealth of one who is incapable (of protecting it) is carried off. If what is given belongs to such a powerless person, what other (person) will not take it away?

Speakers

• Vāmana (Viṣṇu) continuing counsel to the Asura lord (Dhundhu/Bali-context figure).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vāmana)

Key Themes

• Impermanence of wealth
• Unreliability of worldly relations regarding property
• Dana as prudent and dharmic use of wealth
• Renunciation/Non-attachment

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the rhetorical force of mentioning a ‘full brother’ (sodara) as a thief?

The verse intensifies the teaching on insecurity of possessions: if even the closest kin can seize wealth when one is ‘akṣama’ (unable to protect it), then loss is inevitable from others as well. It is a dharma-argument for timely, purposeful giving rather than hoarding.

How does this relate to the Vāmana–Bali episode?

In the three-steps narrative, the Asura ruler’s sovereignty and wealth are shown to be contingent and ultimately reclaimed by the divine. This verse generalizes that lesson: possessions are unstable; therefore, one should convert wealth into dharmic merit through dāna.

Is ‘akṣama’ moral incapacity or practical powerlessness?

Primarily practical powerlessness—lack of capacity to safeguard wealth—though Purāṇic usage can also imply the broader human condition of incapacity before Time (kāla) and divine ordinance, making all hoarding ultimately futile.