Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

तत्रातिहृष्टो वसति नित्यं शर्वः सहोमया वृतः प्रमथकोटीभिर्बहुभिस्त्रिदशार्चितः

Transliteration

tatrātihṛṣṭo vasati nityaṃ śarvaḥ sahomayā vṛtaḥ pramathakoṭībhirbahubhistridaśārcitaḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "A lone devotee with folded hands offers śaraṇāgati to lotus-eyed Viṣṇu, who radiates calm and protective grace, subtly shown as master of the guṇas.", "primary_figures": ["Viṣṇu (Puṣkarekṣaṇa)", "devotee (stuti-kartā)"], "setting": "Sacred lake/pond tīrtha with lotuses, gentle light, and a small shrine or banyan shade", "color_palette": ["deep blue", "gold", "lotus pink", "white", "emerald green"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, gold-leaf haloed Vishnu with lotus eyes, abhaya and varada mudra, devotee kneeling at a lotus-filled sacred tank, ornate temple arch, rich reds and greens, high detail jewelry", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastels, serene Vishnu standing by a lotus lake, devotee with folded hands, delicate trees and hills, fine linework, quiet devotional mood", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines, natural pigments, Vishnu with large lotus eyes and elaborate crown, sacred tank with lotuses, devotee in añjali, symmetrical temple backdrop", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll style, flat perspective, patterned borders, Vishnu as bhakta-vatsala near a lotus pond, devotee in prostration, earthy reds, yellows, and black linework"}

Word by Word

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Speakers

• (Contextual narration within Adhyaya 57; speaker not explicit in provided excerpt—likely a sage narrating a tirtha’s greatness to a listener such as Nārada)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Śarva)
• Uma (Pārvatī)

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Śiva’s perpetual residence in a kṣetra
• Divine attendance (gaṇas/Pramathas)
• Deva-worship of Śiva
• Śaiva sacred topography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse stress ‘nityaṃ vasati’ (dwells perpetually) in a tirtha context?

In Purāṇic kṣetra-māhātmya, ‘perpetual residence’ marks a site as permanently charged with divine presence (sannidhāna). It implies that worship there yields results not dependent on rare cosmic timings, because the deity’s grace is continuously accessible.

Who are the ‘Pramathas’ and why are they mentioned in such large numbers?

Pramathas are Śiva’s gaṇas—fierce, liminal attendants associated with cremation-grounds and boundary-spaces. ‘Crores’ is a Purāṇic intensifier indicating the overwhelming, protective, and awe-inspiring retinue that characterizes a major Śaiva kṣetra.

What does ‘tridaśārcitaḥ’ add to the portrayal of the place?

If even the gods worship Śiva here, the site is elevated above ordinary pilgrimage spots. The phrase functions as a theological credential: the kṣetra is validated by divine precedent, encouraging human pilgrims to emulate the devas’ worship.