Vamana Purana — Gajendra's Deliverance, Shloka 29

Gajendra’s Deliverance and the Protective Power of Remembrance (Japa)

Devanagari script

नान्यं देवं महादेवात् पूजयामास केशवात् मथितामृतफेनाभं शङ्खचक्रगदाधरम्

Transliteration

nānyaṃ devaṃ mahādevāt pūjayāmāsa keśavāt mathitāmṛtaphenābhaṃ śaṅkhacakragadādharam

Translation

sahasra-śubha-nāman: ‘having a thousand auspicious names’ (epithet of the Supreme); ādi-deva: Primeval Deity; aja: Unborn; vibhu: All-pervading, sovereign; puṣkara-agra: ‘the foremost part of Puṣkara’—the best/upper region of a lotus-lake or the sacred Puṣkara-tīrtha; kāñcana: golden; kamala-uttama: excellent lotus; āpad: calamity, distress; vimokṣa: release, deliverance; stotra: hymn of praise; udīrayat: uttered, recited.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic speaker) to the listening sage/audience

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Keśava)
• Śiva (Mahādeva)

Key Themes

• Iconography of Viṣṇu (śaṅkha-cakra-gadā)
• Devotional exclusivity (ananya-bhakti)
• Śiva–Viṣṇu theological framing via ‘Mahādeva’
• Mythic allusion to Samudra-manthana

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How should ‘mahādevāt … keśavāt’ be understood—does it set Śiva against Viṣṇu?

Grammatically it states: ‘he worshipped no other god than Keśava.’ The insertion of ‘mahādeva’ can function as an honorific intensifier (‘the great Lord, Keśava’) or as a comparative sectarian marker depending on recension and context. In many Purāṇic passages, such phrasing ultimately supports a harmony model where the supreme is one, praised under different names.

What is conveyed by ‘mathitāmṛtaphenābha’ (luster like churned-nectar foam)?

It evokes the brilliant, milky-white radiance associated with amṛta arising from the cosmic churning. The image underscores purity, auspiciousness, and divine splendor, aligning Keśava’s form with the most luminous product of a foundational cosmogonic myth.

Why list conch, discus, and mace here?

These are canonical identifiers of Viṣṇu’s protective sovereignty: the conch proclaims dharma, the discus signifies irresistible cosmic order, and the mace represents strength that subdues adharma. In a tīrtha-māhātmya setting, such iconography reinforces the Lord as the ultimate refuge for pilgrims and devotees.