Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 70

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

संस्पृश्यापः सरस्वत्यां स्नात्वा च विधिना हरः कृतार्थो भक्तिमान् मूर्ध्ना पुष्पाञ्जलिमुपाक्षिपत्

Transliteration

saṃspṛśyāpaḥ sarasvatyāṃ snātvā ca vidhinā haraḥ kṛtārtho bhaktimān mūrdhnā puṣpāñjalimupākṣipat

Translation

Touching the waters and bathing in the Sarasvatī according to proper rite, Hara (Śiva)—fulfilled in purpose and devoted—offered a handful of flowers, raising it to his head in reverence.

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing Śiva’s rite in the course of the narrative.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Hara)
• Sarasvatī (river-deity, implicit through the river name)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-snāna (sacred bathing)
• Ritual correctness (vidhi)
• Devotion expressed through offering (puṣpāñjali)
• Purification and empowerment before divine action

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the Sarasvatī singled out here?

In Purāṇic geography, Sarasvatī is a premier sacred river associated with purification, Vedic memory, and tīrtha networks. Placing Śiva’s rite at Sarasvatī sacralizes the narrative action and anchors it in a recognizable pilgrimage landscape.

What does ‘mūrdhnā puṣpāñjalim’ convey ritually?

Lifting the flower-offering to the head marks reverence and self-surrender: the offering is not merely placed but honored as a sacred act. It signals bhakti combined with correct procedure (vidhi).

Is this verse teaching a general practice or narrating a unique event?

Both: it narrates Śiva’s specific act, while also modeling an idealized sequence—touching water, bathing, and offering—typical of tīrtha observance before major vows, battles, or divine manifestations.