Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच शृणुष्व कथयिष्यामि पापपङ्कप्रणाशिनीम् प्रह्लादतीर्थयात्रां ते शुद्धपुण्यप्रदायिनीम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca śṛṇuṣva kathayiṣyāmi pāpapaṅkapraṇāśinīm prahlādatīrthayātrāṃ te śuddhapuṇyapradāyinīm

Translation

ಪುಲಸ್ತ್ಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಕೇಳು; ಪಾಪವೆಂಬ ಕೆಸರನ್ನು ನಾಶಮಾಡಿ ಶುದ್ಧ ಪುಣ್ಯವನ್ನು ನೀಡುವ ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದನ ತೀರ್ಥಯಾತ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ನಿನಗೆ ವಿವರಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ।

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (commencing the itinerary and its promised fruit)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Purification through pilgrimage
• Phalaśruti (benefit statement)
• Sin-as-mire metaphor (pāpa-paṅka)
• Transmission of sacred geography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does the metaphor “pāpa-paṅka” (mire of sin) convey in tīrtha literature?

It portrays sin as sticky, accumulating impurity that clings to the person; tīrtha-yātrā—through bathing, vows, and worship—functions as a cleansing process that loosens and removes this moral residue.

How is “śuddha-puṇya” different from ordinary puṇya?

The phrase emphasizes merit that is untainted by improper motive or ritual defect—merit aligned with correct practice (vidhi), right intention, and sanctified location.

Why does the narrator foreground the benefits before listing places?

This is a standard Purāṇic rhetorical strategy: it establishes the authority and desirability of the forthcoming geography, motivating attentive listening and later emulation by pilgrims.