Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 1

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

इति श्रीवामनपुराणे एकपञ्चाशो ऽध्यायः नारद उवाच कानि तीर्थानि विप्रेन्द्र प्रह्लादो ऽनुजगाम ह प्रह्लादतीर्थयात्रां मे सम्यगाख्यातुमर्हसि

Transliteration

iti śrīvāmanapurāṇe ekapañcāśo 'dhyāyaḥ nārada uvāca kāni tīrthāni viprendra prahlādo 'nujagāma ha prahlādatīrthayātrāṃ me samyagākhyātumarhasi

Translation

(Thus ends the fifty-first chapter in the Śrī Vāmana Purāṇa.) Nārada said: O best of Brahmins, which sacred fords did Prahlāda visit? You should relate to me properly the pilgrimage of Prahlāda.

Speakers

• Nārada to Pulastya (requesting the itinerary and merits)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Pilgrimage itinerary framing
• Guru-disciple / sage-to-sage transmission
• Prahlāda as paradigmatic devotee

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Nārada ask for a list of tīrthas rather than a single holy place?

Tīrtha-māhātmya sections commonly function as sacred geographies: they map a network of places, each with distinct rites and merits. The question cues an ordered itinerary rather than an isolated shrine.

What is implied by calling Pulastya “viprendra”?

It signals Pulastya’s authority as a Brahmarṣi and reliable transmitter of dharma and geography; the honorific also frames the narration as orthodox and trustworthy for pilgrimage practice.

What is the narrative purpose of focusing on Prahlāda’s pilgrimage?

Prahlāda embodies devotion within an Asura lineage; his tīrtha-yātrā models how pilgrimage and worship purify, integrate communities, and align even Daitya-associated narratives with Vaiṣṇava sacred space.