Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 67

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

Devanagari script

तत्रोष्य दैत्येश्वरसूनुरादरान्मासत्रयं मूलफलाम्बुभक्षी निवेद्य विप्रप्रवरेषु काञ्चनं जगाम घोरं स हि दण्डकं वनम्

Transliteration

tatroṣya daityeśvarasūnurādarānmāsatrayaṃ mūlaphalāmbubhakṣī nivedya viprapravareṣu kāñcanaṃ jagāma ghoraṃ sa hi daṇḍakaṃ vanam

Translation

Having stayed there with reverence, the son of the lord of the Daityas lived for three months subsisting on roots, fruits, and water. After presenting gold to the foremost of Brahmins, he then went to the dreadful Daṇḍaka forest.

Word by Word

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Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Purāṇic frame (contextual narration of Bali/Daitya prince’s conduct; explicit interlocutors not stated in these verses).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Tapas (austerity) through regulated diet
• Dāna (charity) to Brahmins
• Pilgrimage/transition into sacred wilderness
• Ethical legitimation of power through ritual generosity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the detail of ‘three months on roots, fruits, and water’ emphasized?

In Purāṇic narrative, a regulated, minimal diet marks tapas as disciplined rather than merely self-torturing. It signals inner restraint (saṃyama) and ritual fitness, often preceding a major encounter with divinity or a decisive turn in the story.

What is the narrative function of giving gold to Brahmins before entering Daṇḍaka?

Dāna to qualified Brahmins is presented as a dharmic act that ‘stabilizes’ the merit of austerity. It also frames the protagonist’s movement into the forest not as lawless wandering but as a sanctioned, merit-bearing transition.

What is Daṇḍaka in Purāṇic geography?

Daṇḍaka is a well-known forest-region of Itihāsa-Purāṇa memory, associated with formidable wilderness and ascetic life. Mentioning it evokes a liminal sacred landscape—remote, dangerous, and suited to tapas and transformative encounters.