Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 56

Shiva’s Kedara-Tirtha and the Rise of Mura: From Shaiva Pilgrimage to Vaishnava Theology

Devanagari script

तमाह धर्मराड् ब्रह्मन् यदि मां संयमाद् भवान् गोपायति मुरो सत्यं करिष्ये वचनं तव/छ 34.55 मुरस्तमाह भवतः कः संयन्ता वदस्व माम अहमेन पराजित्य वारयामि न संशयः

Transliteration

tamāha dharmarāḍ brahman yadi māṃ saṃyamād bhavān gopāyati muro satyaṃ kariṣye vacanaṃ tava/cha 34.55 murastamāha bhavataḥ kaḥ saṃyantā vadasva māma ahamena parājitya vārayāmi na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Dharmarāja said to him: “O Brahman, if you truly protect me from restraint (from being checked), then, Muru, I shall indeed carry out your word.” (34.55) Muru said: “Who is your restrainer? Tell me. Having defeated him, I will stop him—there is no doubt.”

Speakers

• Yama (Dharmarāja) and Muru in dialogue

Primary Deities

• Yama
• (implicit) Vishnu

Key Themes

• Authority and its source
• Asuric challenge to divine governance
• Dharma as an administered order
• Boast (garva) vs. cosmic hierarchy

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Yama address Muru as “brahman”?

In Purāṇic diction, “brahman” can function as a formal honorific meaning ‘venerable one’ or ‘sir,’ even when the addressee is not a brāhmaṇa. It marks elevated speech in a tense exchange.

What is the narrative function of asking “Who restrains you?”

It sets up the theological reveal: Yama’s authority is not autonomous but delegated. The question invites identification of the supreme principle/deity behind dharma’s enforcement.

Does Yama actually agree to stop restraining beings?

The line is framed conditionally (“if you protect me…”), highlighting Muru’s misunderstanding. The subsequent verse clarifies that Yama is restrained by Viṣṇu, making Muru’s demand impossible within cosmic order.