Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 7

The Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata: Worship of Vishnu’s Body as the Constellations

Devanagari script

तस्यां स्नात्वा समभ्यर्च्य देवदेवं द्विजप्रियम् उपवासी इरावत्यां ददर्श परमेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tasyāṃ snātvā samabhyarcya devadevaṃ dvijapriyam upavāsī irāvatyāṃ dadarśa parameśvaram

Translation

{"scene_description": "Bali stands upright, calm and resolute, speaking to the Dānava-lord/guru figure; behind him, symbols of kingship appear diminished, emphasizing inner courage.", "primary_figures": ["Bali", "Śukrācārya or Dānava authority figure"], "setting": "Open court near sacrificial arena; banners droop, yet Bali’s posture is firm.", "color_palette": ["steel blue", "gold", "maroon", "black", "white"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore, gold-leaf accents; Bali in regal armor yet serene face, one hand in añjali, other relaxed; guru/authority with stern gaze; ornate pillars, dramatic but devotional lighting.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature; Bali’s composed stance, minimalistic background, soft gradients; emphasis on facial calm and moral courage.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural; heroic Bali with bold outlines, wide eyes, firm stance; ritual elements and palace motifs; warm ochres and deep greens.", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra; stylized Bali declaring fearlessness, throne and crown shown to the side; strong lines, narrative border motifs, earthy palette."}

Speakers

• Narratorial voice continuing the pilgrimage description.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Tirtha Yatra (river-to-river movement)
• Snāna and arcana as paired rites
• Upavāsa (fasting) as intensifier of merit
• Śiva as Devadeva and patron of dvijas

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘tasyām’ most naturally refer to in this sequence?

Given the immediately preceding mention of Vipāśā (‘vipāśām abhito yayau’), ‘tasyām snātvā’ most naturally means ‘having bathed in that (Vipāśā)’. The verse then shifts to Irāvatī as the next locus of darśana.

Why mention ‘dvijapriya’ (beloved of the twice-born) for Devadeva?

It frames the tīrtha practice as Vedic-orthoprax: bathing, worship, and fasting are presented as acts aligned with dvija discipline. The epithet also signals Śiva’s acceptance of Vedic worshippers, a common Purāṇic bridge between Śaiva devotion and Brahmanical ritual culture.

Is ‘Parameśvara’ here Śiva or Viṣṇu?

In isolation it can denote either, but the immediate epithets ‘Devadeva’ and ‘dvijapriya’ and the prior verse’s explicit ‘Śiva’ make the referent Śiva in this passage, describing a Śaiva shrine or manifestation at/near the Irāvatī.