Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 71

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

Devanagari script

सांख्येवेत्तारमपरं कपिलं वोढुमासुरिम् दृष्ट्वा पञ्चशिखं श्रेष्ठं योगयुक्तं तपोनिधिम्

Transliteration

sāṃkhyevettāramaparaṃ kapilaṃ voḍhumāsurim dṛṣṭvā pañcaśikhaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ yogayuktaṃ taponidhim

Translation

Ayant vu Pañcaśikha—éminent, établi dans le yoga, trésor d’austérités—ils cherchèrent, d’une manière āsurī, à faire reconnaître Kapila comme un autre connaisseur du Sāṃkhya.

Word by Word

• सांख्य-वेतारम्: knower of Sāṃkhya
• सांख्य-वेतारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वेतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः): सांख्यस्य वेत्ता = sāṃkhyasya vettā

• अपरम्: other / another
• अपरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कपिलम्: Kapila
• कपिलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• वोढुम्: to carry/lead (away)
• वोढुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive); √वह् = to carry/lead

• आसुरिम्: Āsuri
• आसुरिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसुरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); √दृश् = having seen

• पञ्च-शिखम्: Pañcaśikha (the one with five tufts; proper name)
• पञ्च-शिखम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + शिख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः: पञ्च शिखाः यस्य (नामरूपेण)

• श्रेष्ठम्: excellent / best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• योग-युक्तम्: endowed with yoga
• योग-युक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + युज् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘युक्त’; तत्पुरुषः: योगेन युक्तः = joined with yoga

• तपो-निधिम्: treasure of austerity
• तपो-निधिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी): तपसः निधिः

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (likely narrator-sage voice within a cosmological/philosophical catalogue).

Key Themes

• Authority of Sāṃkhya and Yoga lineages
• Ascetic excellence (tapas) as credential
• Polemic contrast: daivī vs āsurī dispositions

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who is Pañcaśikha in Purāṇic/Itihāsa traditions?

Pañcaśikha is remembered as a major Sāṃkhya teacher, often linked to the transmission of Sāṃkhya doctrines. Here he is praised as yogayukta and tapo-nidhi, marking him as an exemplary ascetic-philosopher.

How should āsurīm be understood here—literally ‘demonic’ or ‘contrary to dharma’?

In Purāṇic diction, āsurī can denote asura-affiliation, but it also functions as a moral-philosophical label for a disposition opposed to daivī (divine) virtues—pride, contentiousness, or improper appropriation of sacred knowledge.

Does the verse mention any tīrtha or geographic marker?

No. The content is doctrinal/lineage-focused and contains no rivers, forests, or pilgrimage sites.