Vamana Purana — Harihara Revelation, Shloka 53

Harihara Revelation and the Kurukshetra Tirtha Cycle: Sthanu in Vishnu and the Sanctification of Saptasarasvata

Devanagari script

पितामहो ऽपि तं पुत्रं साध्यं सद्धिनयान्वितम् सनत्कुमारं प्रोवाच योगं द्वादशपत्रकम्

Transliteration

pitāmaho 'pi taṃ putraṃ sādhyaṃ saddhinayānvitam sanatkumāraṃ provāca yogaṃ dvādaśapatrakam

Translation

तब पितामह ने भी उस पुत्र—जो साध्य (सिद्धि-योग्य) और उत्तम विनय से युक्त था—सनत्कुमार को द्वादश-पत्रक (बारह खंडों) वाला योग-उपदेश दिया।

Word by Word

• पितामहः: grandfather
• पितामहः: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (particle: also/even)

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• साध्यम्: to be accomplished / worthy (sādhya)
• साध्यम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of पुत्रम्)

• सत्: good / true
• सत्: विशेषण-अङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• धिनय: discipline (reading uncertain)
• धिनय: विशेषण-अङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (पाठभेद सम्भाव्य: 'विनय' = humility/discipline)

• अन्वितम्: endowed with
• अन्वितम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of पुत्रम्)

• सनत्कुमारम्: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत्कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: सनत् (ever-young) + कुमार (youth)

• प्रोवाच: told / proclaimed
• प्रोवाच: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच्/वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• योगम्: yoga / discipline
• योगम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• द्वादशपत्रकम्: having twelve leaves/sections
• द्वादशपत्रकम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral compound) विशेषण (of योगम्)

Speakers

• Pitāmaha instructing Sanatkumāra (as son/disciple)

Primary Deities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā, implied)
• Sanatkumāra (Kumāra sage)

Key Themes

• Transmission of yoga doctrine
• Sanatkumāra as paradigmatic sage
• Structured teaching (twelvefold arrangement)
• Discipline (vinaya/dhīnaya) as prerequisite for yoga

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What might “dvādaśa-patraka” (twelve-leaved) indicate?

It most naturally denotes a teaching organized into twelve units—like twelve sections, topics, or ‘folios’. Purāṇic authors often use ‘patra’ metaphorically for a leaf/folio of a text, implying a structured syllabus rather than a single verse instruction.

Why is Sanatkumāra singled out for yoga instruction?

Sanatkumāra is a canonical figure of ascetic wisdom—an eternally youthful mind-born son of Brahmā associated with renunciation, jñāna, and yogic realization. Making him the recipient authorizes the yoga teaching as ancient and exemplary.

Does this verse contribute to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographical agenda?

Indirectly. While no place-name appears here, the Vāmana Purāṇa frequently embeds doctrinal teachings within pilgrimage narratives; yogic instruction can function as the ‘inner tirtha’ counterpart to outer sacred geography, pairing place-mahātmya with soteriological method.