Shloka 53

Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit — Prahlada’s Pilgrimage Circuit: Tirtha-Mahatmya from Naimisha to Rudrakoti and Shalagrama

Devanagari script

यो दक्षशापनिर्दग्धः क्षयी ताराधिपः शशी आप्यायितः शङ्करेण विष्णुना सकपर्दिना

Transliteration

yo dakṣaśāpanirdagdhaḥ kṣayī tārādhipaḥ śaśī āpyāyitaḥ śaṅkareṇa viṣṇunā sakapardinā

Translation

That Moon—lord of the stars—who, wasting away, had been scorched by Dakṣa’s curse, was restored to fullness by Śaṅkara—by Viṣṇu himself, the Kapardin.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice continuing the tirtha account; the verse functions as an explanatory gloss for the name Someśvara and the site’s mythic charter.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Shankara/Kapardin)
• Vishnu
• Soma/Chandra (Moon)
• Daksha

Key Themes

• Etiological myth for a tirtha-name (Someśvara)
• Curse and restoration (śāpa–anugraha)
• Soma’s waxing/waning explained mythically
• Shaiva–Vaishnava unity (Śiva identified with Viṣṇu)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Soma said to be ‘burnt by Dakṣa’s curse’ and ‘waning’?

This alludes to the well-known Purāṇic cycle where Soma incurs Dakṣa’s displeasure and is cursed to waste away; the Moon’s periodic waning is read as the ongoing effect of that curse, while waxing is attributed to divine replenishment (āpyāyana).

How can the text say Soma was restored by Śaṅkara and also by Viṣṇu?

The verse deliberately overlays identities: Śaṅkara (Kapardin) is named, then the act is attributed to Viṣṇu as well. This is a common Purāṇic strategy to teach functional unity or mutual indwelling of Hari and Hara, especially in a tirtha context where sectarian boundaries are softened.

What does this myth contribute to the tirtha’s significance?

It provides a ‘charter myth’ explaining why the deity is called Someśvara and why the place is efficacious: the site is remembered as the locus of Soma’s restoration, making it a place associated with healing, replenishment, and divine grace.