Shloka 9

Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit — Prahlada’s Pilgrimage Circuit: Tirtha-Mahatmya from Naimisha to Rudrakoti and Shalagrama

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा विरजसे तीर्थे दत्त्वा पिण्डं पितॄंस् तथा दर्शनार्थ ययौ श्रीमान् अजितं पुरुषोत्तमम्

Transliteration

snātvā virajase tīrthe dattvā piṇḍaṃ pitṝṃs tathā darśanārtha yayau śrīmān ajitaṃ puruṣottamam

Translation

Having bathed at the Viraja-tīrtha and having offered piṇḍa-oblations to the Pitṛs, the illustrious one went for the sake of darśana to Ajita, the Supreme Person (Puruṣottama).

Speakers

• Narratorial voice describing the pilgrim’s culminating devotional goal (darśana).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Ajita/Puruṣottama)
• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Darśana (pilgrimage goal)
• Pitṛ-śrāddha (piṇḍa offering)
• Vaiṣṇava devotion embedded in sacred geography
• Merit through combined snāna and ancestral rites

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ritual significance of offering piṇḍa at a tīrtha?

Piṇḍa-dāna at a tīrtha is a paradigmatic Purāṇic act: the sanctity of place is believed to convey special efficacy to ancestral offerings, aiding the Pitṛs and simultaneously purifying the performer.

Why is Ajita called Puruṣottama here?

The pairing of ‘Ajita’ (Unconquered) with ‘Puruṣottama’ (Supreme Person) identifies the darśana-object unambiguously as Viṣṇu in his highest theological register—both invincible sovereignty and supreme personhood.

How does this verse reflect the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographic character?

It maps devotion onto terrain: a named tīrtha (Virajā) prescribes specific rites (snāna, piṇḍa), and the journey culminates in a deity’s darśana. The text thus functions as a ritual-geographic guide where places encode practices and theological endpoints.