Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 54
Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)
तुङ्ड्गेषु तालो नलिनीषु पम्पा वनौकसेष्वेव च ऋक्षराजः महीरुहेष्वेव यथा वटश्च यथा हरो ज्ञानवतां वरिष्ठः
tuṅḍgeṣu tālo nalinīṣu pampā vanaukaseṣveva ca ṛkṣarājaḥ mahīruheṣveva yathā vaṭaśca yathā haro jñānavatāṃ variṣṭhaḥ
Di antara pohon-pohon tuṅḍga, tāla (palem) adalah yang utama; di antara telaga teratai, Pampā adalah yang utama. Di antara penghuni rimba, raja para beruang (singa) adalah yang utama; di antara pepohonan, beringin adalah yang utama—demikian pula Hara (Śiva) adalah yang terbaik di antara para bijaksana.
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FAQs
The verse frames spiritual excellence through familiar superlatives in nature: as certain natural forms are paradigmatically ‘chief,’ so too the ideal of wisdom culminates in devotion to (or alignment with) Hara—implying that true jñāna matures into recognition of the supreme.
It is best classified as embedded stuti/upadeśa rather than one of the five defining Purāṇic topics; it supports theological orientation within the text’s broader narrative architecture.
Banyan (vaṭa) symbolizes longevity and shelter; Pampā symbolizes sacred purity and beauty; the ‘king’ among forest-beings symbolizes sovereignty. Hara as ‘best among the wise’ places ascetic-transcendent consciousness as the apex of these symbols.