Shloka 21

Gift of Sudarshana — The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

साग्रं वर्षसहस्रं तु पादाङ्गुष्ठेन तस्तिवान् गृणंस्तत्परमं ब्रह्म योगिज्ञेयमलक्षणम्

Transliteration

sāgraṃ varṣasahasraṃ tu pādāṅguṣṭhena tastivān gṛṇaṃstatparamaṃ brahma yogijñeyamalakṣaṇam

Translation

For a full thousand years (and more), he stood balanced upon the tip of his great toe, praising that Supreme Brahman—knowable to yogins, yet without defining marks.

Speakers

• Narrator (contextual Purana voice) describing Śaṅkara’s austerity; no direct speech in this verse.

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Brahman (Supreme Reality)

Key Themes

• Tapas (austerity)
• Nirguṇa/Nir-lakṣaṇa Brahman
• Yogic realization
• Devotional praise (stuti)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is standing on the tip of the toe emphasized?

It signals an extreme, formalized tapas motif common in Purāṇic narrative: bodily steadiness (sthāṇutva) mirrors mental one-pointedness, legitimizing the ensuing divine boon as earned through ascetic power.

What does “alakṣaṇam brahma” imply in a Purāṇic setting?

It points to the Supreme as beyond empirical attributes (nir-lakṣaṇa), even while Purāṇas also describe the same Supreme through personal forms. The verse frames the praised reality as ultimately transcending description, accessible through yogic realization.

How does this verse fit Shaiva–Vaishnava theology in the Vāmana Purāṇa?

By portraying Śiva praising the Supreme Brahman, the text prepares for a later convergence where Śiva’s devotion and austerity culminate in a gift to Viṣṇu—supporting a unity model rather than sectarian rivalry.