Vamana Purana — Prahlada at Kurukshetra, Shloka 8

Prahlada’s Kurukshetra Pilgrimage and the Origin of the Chakra–Trishula Exchange

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा च दृष्ट्वा च संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः पुण्डरीकं च संपूज्य उवास दिवसत्रयम्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā ca dṛṣṭvā ca saṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ puṇḍarīkaṃ ca saṃpūjya uvāsa divasatrayam

Translation

[{"question": "What does “Ajita” signify here—an avatāra or a title?", "answer": "In this verse Ajita functions as an epithet—“the Unconquered”—most naturally referring to Viṣṇu as the supreme, invincible Lord. The text emphasizes darśana at a named sacred site rather than narrating a specific avatāra episode."}, {"question": "Why is a three-night stay (trirātra) highlighted at a tirtha?", "answer": "A trirātra residence is a common purāṇic pattern of tirtha-observance: bathing, worship, and remaining for a fixed period to complete a vow-like discipline. It marks the visit as more than a momentary bath—an intentional sādhana of purity and merit."}, {"question": "Is Viśākhayūpa a river or a shrine?", "answer": "The term yūpa indicates a sacrificial post and, by extension, a sacralized landmark. In tirtha catalogues it often denotes a shrine-marker or ritual spot rather than a water-body, anchoring the geography of pilgrimage routes."}]

Speakers

• Narrator continuing the account of Prahlāda’s actions at Puṇḍarīka.

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs (ancestral deities)
• Puṇḍarīka (tīrtha/deity locus)

Key Themes

• Pitṛ-tarpaṇa at tīrthas
• Integration of śrāddha-logic into pilgrimage
• Merit through extended residence (three-day stay)
• Ritual completeness: snāna + darśana + tarpaṇa + pūjā

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is tarpaṇa to the Pitṛs performed at this water-tīrtha?

Tarpaṇa is classically water-mediated: libations (udaka) are offered to sustain and honor the Pitṛs. A major water-site (‘great waters’ in the preceding verse) is therefore especially apt for pitṛ-kārya, amplifying the rite’s efficacy in Purāṇic valuation.

What is the significance of staying ‘three days’ (divasatrayam)?

A three-day residence marks deliberate observance rather than a passing visit. In tīrtha literature, extended stay often implies completion of vows (vrata), repeated bathing/worship cycles, and accruing compounded merit tied to the site’s sanctity.

Does ‘dṛṣṭvā’ here mean seeing a physical idol, a liṅga, or the tīrtha itself?

It can encompass all three. In pilgrimage idiom, ‘darśana’ includes beholding the installed deity (mūrti/liṅga), the sanctified natural feature (water/lotus-lake), and the ritualized space as a manifestation of sacred presence.