Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 3

Shiva’s Kedara-Tirtha and the Rise of Mura: From Shaiva Pilgrimage to Vaishnava Theology

Devanagari script

स्वमात्मानं निरीक्ष्याथ निस्तेजोङ्गं महेश्वरः तपोर्थाय तथा चक्रे मतिं मतिमतां वरः

Transliteration

svamātmānaṃ nirīkṣyātha nistejoṅgaṃ maheśvaraḥ taporthāya tathā cakre matiṃ matimatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

Alors Maheśvara, s’étant contemplé lui-même et voyant son corps privé de radiance, prit la résolution d’entreprendre l’austérité ; lui, le meilleur des sages, orienta son esprit vers le tapas à cette fin.

Word by Word

• svam: his own
• svam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; reflexive possessive adjective qualifying ātmānam

• ātmānam: self
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म) (object of nirīkṣya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• nirīkṣya: having observed
• nirīkṣya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण) (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√īkṣ (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Kṛdanta absolutive/gerund (क्त्वान्त): 'having observed'

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक): 'then'

• nis-tejaḥ-aṅgam: lusterless body
• nis-tejaḥ-aṅgam: Karma (कर्म) (object understood with nirīkṣya: observing his lusterless body)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nis-tejas (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; compound: 'a body/limb without splendor'

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; proper epithet

• tapas-arthāya: for austerity
• tapas-arthāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान) (purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana; dative of purpose: 'for the sake of austerity'

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb: 'thus/in that manner'

• cakre: made/formed
• cakre: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; Ātmanepada

• matim: a resolve/idea
• matim: Karma (कर्म) (object of cakre)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• matimatām: of the wise
• matimatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) (genitive relation to varaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th), Bahuvacana (pl.); genitive: 'of the wise'

• varaḥ: the best
• varaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to maheśvaraḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; 'best'

Speakers

• Narrator voice (contextual; specific speaker not stated in the verse)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Tapas (austerity)
• Self-assessment and resolve
• Tejas (spiritual radiance)
• Śaiva ascetic ideal

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Śiva appear as ‘nistejoṅga’ (without radiance) in this verse?

The phrase signals a narrative moment of deliberate withdrawal of manifest splendor, emphasizing the ascetic paradigm: even the Great Lord adopts a condition that motivates tapas. It frames tapas as a conscious, willed discipline rather than a reaction to external defeat.

What is the function of ‘matiṃ cakre’ here?

It marks the inner turning-point: the Lord’s decision (saṅkalpa) to pursue tapas. In Purāṇic narration, such resolve often precedes vows (vrata), pilgrimage, or the establishment of protective deities and sacred sites.

Does this verse contain geographical data typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Not directly. It is preparatory narrative; the geographical layer typically appears when the Lord ‘moves upon the earth’ or establishes a guardian/linga/tīrtha, which begins in the next verse.