Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 26

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मा त्वं महाबाहो मतिमेतां समादधः वैराजभुवनं धुन्धो दुरारोहं सदा नृभिः

Transliteration

tasmānmā tvaṃ mahābāho matimetāṃ samādadhaḥ vairājabhuvanaṃ dhundho durārohaṃ sadā nṛbhiḥ

Translation

teṣām vacanam: their speech/advice; ākarṇya: having heard; provāca: said, addressed; dānavān: the Dānavas (a class of Asuras); gantukāmaḥ: wishing to go; sadanam: dwelling, abode; brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā; jetum: to conquer; īśvarān: the lords/divine rulers (often Devas or presiding deities).

Speakers

• Advisers/elders to Dhundhu (direct address)

Primary Deities

• Brahma
• Viraja (cosmic principle/personage implied by Vairāja-bhuvana)

Key Themes

• Cosmic hierarchy and restricted realms
• Warning against hubris (ati-māna)
• Limits of Asuric power before Vedic/cosmic order

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ‘Vairāja-bhuvana’ in Purāṇic cosmology?

Vairāja-bhuvana denotes a high cosmic station associated with Virāja—the cosmic ordering principle often connected with the universal body and Brahmā’s domain. It signifies a realm protected by tapas, Veda, and hierarchy, not easily penetrated by force.

Why does the verse say it is difficult ‘for mortals’ (nṛbhiḥ) if Dhundhu is a Dānava?

‘Nṛbhiḥ’ can function generically for embodied beings attempting ascent by mere power. The point is that brute strength or conquest does not grant access; qualification (adhikāra) through dharma/tapas is implied.

Is this a moral injunction or a strategic warning?

Both: it discourages adharmic ambition (moral) and signals that the target realm is inherently guarded by Vedic potency and cosmic law (strategic).