Vamana Purana — Harihara Non-Duality, Shloka 15

Harihara Non-Duality and the Revelation of Sadasiva to the Ganas

Devanagari script

सार्धद्विनेत्राः पद्माक्षाः श्रीवत्साङ्कितवक्षसः समायाताः खगारूढा वृषभध्वजिनो ऽव्ययाः

Transliteration

sārdhadvinetrāḥ padmākṣāḥ śrīvatsāṅkitavakṣasaḥ samāyātāḥ khagārūḍhā vṛṣabhadhvajino 'vyayāḥ

Translation

There also arrived others: some bore the mark of the Three-eyed Lord, some were lotus-eyed; some had the Śrīvatsa sign upon their chests. They came mounted on birds, and others bearing the bull-banner—imperishable divine beings.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator) to the listener (traditional frame: Pulastya to Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava convergence
• Iconographic identifiers (Śrīvatsa, bull-banner, lotus-eyes)
• Divine assembly before a cosmic battle

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava identifiers listed together?

The verse intentionally juxtaposes emblems of Śiva (three-eyed association, bull-banner) and Viṣṇu (lotus-eyes, Śrīvatsa) to portray a unified divine coalition—common in Purāṇic battle narratives where sectarian boundaries are harmonized for the sake of cosmic order.

What does ‘khagārūḍha’ suggest here?

It indicates divine beings arriving on bird-mounts; most prominently this evokes Garuḍa (Viṣṇu’s vāhana), but the plural usage can also generalize to other celestial bird conveyances in epic-Purāṇic imagery.

Is any specific tīrtha or region being described?

No. This śloka is iconographic and theological rather than geographical; it names no rivers, forests, mountains, or pilgrimage sites.