Vamana Purana — Manifestation of Katyayani, Shloka 30
The Manifestation of Katyayani (Durga) and the Humbling of the Vindhya by Agastya
गत्वा वचः प्राह मुनिर्महीध्रं यास्ये महातीर्थवरं सुपुण्यम् वृद्धोस्मयशक्तश्च तवाधिरोढुं तस्माद् भवान् नीचतरो ऽस्तु सद्यः // वम्प्_19.29 इत्येवमुक्तो मुनिस्त्तमेन स नीचशृङ्गस्त्वभवन्महीध्रः समाक्रमच्चापि महर्षिमुक्यः प्रोल्लङ्घ्य विन्ध्यं त्विदमाह शैलम्
gatvā vacaḥ prāha munirmahīdhraṃ yāsye mahātīrthavaraṃ supuṇyam vṛddhosmayaśaktaśca tavādhiroḍhuṃ tasmād bhavān nīcataro 'stu sadyaḥ // VamP_19.29 ityevamukto munisttamena sa nīcaśṛṅgastvabhavanmahīdhraḥ samākramaccāpi maharṣimukyaḥ prollaṅghya vindhyaṃ tvidamāha śailam
S’étant approché, le sage dit à la montagne : «Je vais vers un grand tīrtha, le plus excellent et d’une sainteté suprême. Je suis vieux et sans force pour te gravir ; c’est pourquoi, abaisse-toi sur-le-champ.»
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FAQs
The episode encodes humility and service: even the ‘earth-bearer’ must yield to dharma when asked for the welfare of movement, pilgrimage, and world-order.
Narrative (ākhyāna) supporting kṣetra/tīrtha orientation; not sarga/pratisarga. It functions as a geographic-theological charter explaining why a region is passable/ordered.
The mountain’s ‘lowering’ symbolizes the subordination of pride (unnatural swelling) to tapas and dharma, enabling southward flow—often read as opening pathways for culture, pilgrimage, and rivers.