Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 91
Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode
महाव्रती च धनदस्तस्य शिष्यश्च विर्यवान् कर्णोदर इति ख्यातो जात्या शूद्रो महातपाः
mahāvratī ca dhanadastasya śiṣyaśca viryavān karṇodara iti khyāto jātyā śūdro mahātapāḥ
Dhanada era un gran observante de votos. Su discípulo, poderoso, era conocido como Karṇodara: de nacimiento un Śūdra, y sin embargo un gran asceta.
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FAQs
The verse teaches that religious excellence is measured by vrata and tapas, not by birth-status; a Śūdra can be celebrated as mahātapā through disciplined practice and legitimate discipleship.
Vamśānucarita/lineage record: it continues the succession narrative, functioning as a doctrinal credentialing device typical of Purāṇic composition.
By explicitly juxtaposing 'jātyā śūdraḥ' with 'mahātapāḥ', the text symbolically elevates inner qualification (adhikāra via practice) over external identity, aligning Śaiva vrata with universal accessibility.