Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

उदपाने तथा स्नात्वा तत्राभ्यर्च्य पितॄन् वशी गदापाणिं समभ्यर्च्य गोपतिं चापि शङ्करम्

Transliteration

udapāne tathā snātvā tatrābhyarcya pitṝn vaśī gadāpāṇiṃ samabhyarcya gopatiṃ cāpi śaṅkaram

Translation

Śravaṇa: a lunar mansion (nakṣatra) named “Śravaṇa.” Puṣya: a lunar mansion (nakṣatra) named “Puṣya.” pūjya/pūjayeta: should be worshipped/honoured ritually. śravaṇau: “the two ears.” mukha: face/mouth. dohada: a vowed/desired offering (often connected with fulfilling a wish; in some contexts linked to pregnancy-cravings, here a prescribed ‘wish-fulfilling’ gift/food). dadhi: curd/yogurt. bhakta: cooked rice/food. ghṛta: clarified butter (ghee). pāyasa: milk-rice/pudding (kheer).

Speakers

• Narrator describing sequential rites within the Gayā pilgrimage circuit

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Gadāpāṇi)
• Vishnu (Gopati)
• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Pitrs (ancestors)

Key Themes

• Integration of pitṛ-ritual with deity worship
• Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava unity at a single tīrtha
• Tīrtha micro-topography (wells and bathing points)
• Discipline (vaśitva) as qualification for rite

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are Pitṛs worshipped together with Viṣṇu (Gadāpāṇi/Gopati) and Śiva (Śaṅkara) in one sequence?

Purāṇic tīrtha practice often layers obligations: pitṛ-kārya (ancestral duty) is performed alongside iṣṭa-devatā worship. The verse portrays Gayā as a confluence where ancestral rites and the worship of major deities mutually reinforce merit.

What does ‘udāpāna’ contribute to the geography of the text?

It signals a specific, named or functionally distinct water-source within the sacred terrain. Such wells/ponds are treated as ritual stations (micro-tīrthas), each with its own prescribed acts like snāna and arcana.

Is “Gadāpāṇi” different from “Gopati” here?

They are distinct epithets that can refer to the same supreme deity (Viṣṇu) in different iconographic or local shrine contexts: Gadāpāṇi emphasizes the mace-bearing form, while Gopati emphasizes lordship/protection associated with cows and pastoral symbolism.