Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 76
The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites
दास्ते गृहं हिरण्यं च वाजिनः स्यन्दनान् गजान् प्रयच्छाम्यद्य भवतो व्रियतामीप्सितं विभो
dāste gṛhaṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca vājinaḥ syandanān gajān prayacchāmyadya bhavato vriyatāmīpsitaṃ vibho
[{"question": "Who is Dhundhu here, and why is Vāmana addressing him?", "answer": "The verse names Dhundhu as an āsurapati (Asura lord). In this chapter’s narrative setting (Vāmana’s encounter with the Asura ruler in the three-steps episode), Vāmana addresses him directly to deliver counsel framed as ‘svārtha-siddhikara’—speech aimed at the Asura’s genuine good, not merely immediate advantage."}, {"question": "What does ‘svārtha’ mean in a Purāṇic ethical context?", "answer": "Svārtha is not mere self-interest in the narrow sense; it denotes one’s true welfare—aligned with dharma and lasting benefit. Purāṇic discourse often contrasts transient gain (artha tied to possession) with enduring good (svārtha grounded in right action and surrender)."}, {"question": "Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographical marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?", "answer": "No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographical/tīrtha orientation, this particular śloka is purely narrative and ethical, without explicit place-names."}]
{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
These are classic emblems of royal power and wealth (rājya-śrī). By offering them freely, Bali demonstrates that his dāna is not marginal but touches the very instruments of sovereignty.
In this context it functions as a respectful vocative—“venerable/mighty sir”—addressed to the Brahmin recipient. In avatāra narratives, such honorifics can also carry dramatic irony when the ‘Brahmin’ is Vishnu in disguise, though that identification is not explicit in this verse.
No. It is a gift-enumeration verse within the Bali narrative and contains no explicit toponyms (rivers, tirthas, forests, or regions).