Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 12

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच श्रूयतां कथियिष्यामि यो ऽयं प्रोक्तस्त्रिविक्रमः यस्मिन् काले संबभूव यं च वञ्चितवानसौ

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca śrūyatāṃ kathiyiṣyāmi yo 'yaṃ proktastrivikramaḥ yasmin kāle saṃbabhūva yaṃ ca vañcitavānasau

Translation

Pulastya said: “Listen; I shall relate (the account of) this Trivikrama who has been mentioned—when he came to be (manifest) and whom he deceived.”

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Purāṇic narration formula (śrūyatām)
• Mythic historiography (time of manifestation)
• Divine māyā/strategic ‘deception’ (vañcana) in service of dharma
• Transition into the Trivikrama episode

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How should “vañcitavān” (deceived) be understood in a dharmic text?

In Purāṇic ethics, ‘deception’ here typically means a divine stratagem (upāya) used to restore cosmic balance—e.g., accepting a boon/gift in a way that lawfully limits an overreaching power—rather than immoral trickery.

What does “yasmin kāle saṃbabhūva” imply about avatāra manifestation?

It frames the avatāra as a temporally locatable epiphany within cosmic time (yuga/manvantara logic), even while the deity is eternal; the narrative will specify the contextual ‘when’ to situate the episode in sacred history.

Why does Pulastya begin with “śrūyatām”?

It is a conventional marker of authoritative transmission in Purāṇas, signaling a formal, lineage-based narration where attentive listening is itself part of the religious act (śravaṇa) that conveys merit and understanding.