Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

कोटिसंख्यास्तपः सिद्धा हरदर्शलालसाः अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमित्येवं वादिनो मुन्

Transliteration

koṭisaṃkhyāstapaḥ siddhā haradarśalālasāḥ ahaṃ pūrvamahaṃ pūrvamityevaṃ vādino mun

Translation

Wahai resi, para pertapa yang telah sempurna oleh tapa, berjumlah hingga krore, rindu akan darśana Hara; mereka saling berdebat, masing-masing berkata, “Aku dulu! Aku dulu!”

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic speaker) addressing a sage (muni); broader frame typically a r̥ṣi-to-r̥ṣi dialogue in tīrtha-māhātmya sections.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Hara/Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-māhātmya (pilgrimage glory)
• Darśana of Śiva
• Ascetic rivalry and humility
• Tapas and siddhi

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why do perfected ascetics quarrel if they are ‘tapaḥ-siddha’?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often depict even advanced beings momentarily overtaken by subtle ego (ahaṃkāra) when competing for divine audience. The episode functions as a didactic contrast: tapas grants power, but humility and order are still required for auspicious darśana.

What is implied by ‘Hara-darśana’ in a tīrtha context?

Darśana here is not mere seeing; it is a sacral encounter that sanctifies the place and the devotee. Such passages typically prepare for a localized manifestation of Śiva that becomes the basis for naming a tīrtha.

Does ‘koṭi’ indicate literal numbers or a conventional hyperbole?

In Purāṇic style, ‘koṭi’ can be both: a literal large count and a conventional marker of vastness. In tīrtha-māhātmya, it underscores the extraordinary sanctity of the site—so great that multitudes of siddhas converge there.