Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

ततो ऽपरो योजनकोटिभिस्तु षड्भिस्तपो नाम तपस्विजुष्टः तिष्ठन्ति यत्रासुर साध्यवर्या येषां हि नश्वासमरुत् त्वसह्यः

Transliteration

tato 'paro yojanakoṭibhistu ṣaḍbhistapo nāma tapasvijuṣṭaḥ tiṣṭhanti yatrāsura sādhyavaryā yeṣāṃ hi naśvāsamarut tvasahyaḥ

Translation

Beyond that, at a distance of six koṭis of yojanas, is the realm called Tapo-loka, frequented by ascetics. O Asura, the foremost Sādhyas abide there, whose very breath-wind is unbearable.

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher addressing an Asura (asura) (exact named speakers not provided in prompt)

Primary Deities

• None explicitly named; Sādhyas mentioned as a divine class

Key Themes

• Asceticism (tapas) as a cosmic principle
• Stratification of worlds
• Tejas/power of higher beings
• Sādhyas in Purāṇic cosmology

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is Tapo-loka and why is it linked with ascetics?

Tapo-loka is a higher realm characterized by tapas (austerity/ascetic heat). Purāṇic cosmology often assigns each upper world a defining spiritual quality; here, ascetic practice and its radiance (tejas) are the realm’s signature.

Who are the Sādhyas in this context?

The Sādhyas are a recognized class of celestial/divine beings in Vedic-Purāṇic tradition. Calling them ‘foremost’ (varyāḥ) underscores that Tapo-loka is populated by exceptionally refined entities.

What does ‘their breath-wind is unbearable’ signify?

It is a poetic way to express overwhelming spiritual potency. Even something ordinarily gentle—breath—becomes intolerable to lower beings, marking a boundary of access between realms.