Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

ते धुन्धुवाक्यं तु निशम्य दैत्याः प्रोचुर्न नो विद्यति लोकपाल गतिर्यया याम पितामहाजिरं सुदुर्गमो ऽयं परतो हि मार्गः

Transliteration

te dhundhuvākyaṃ tu niśamya daityāḥ procurna no vidyati lokapāla gatiryayā yāma pitāmahājiraṃ sudurgamo 'yaṃ parato hi mārgaḥ

Translation

{"scene_description": "A flashback tableau: a learned brāhmaṇa in an ancient city, identified by name and lineage, foreshadowing a later fall into preta existence.", "primary_figures": ["Somaśarman (former brāhmaṇa self)"], "setting": "City of Śākala with gateways, market streets, and a modest brāhmaṇa dwelling; a narrative ‘memory’ vignette.", "color_palette": ["saffron", "clay brown", "pale turquoise", "ivory"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style portrait of a brāhmaṇa Somaśarman in white garments with sacred thread, holding a palm-leaf text, city backdrop with gold-leaf architectural motifs, ornate frame", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature of Śākala cityscape, Somaśarman seated near a courtyard, soft pastel buildings and trees, fine facial detail, calm reflective mood", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural depiction of Somaśarman with clear sacred thread and stylized city elements, bold outlines, warm earth pigments, symmetrical composition", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra panel showing labeled figure ‘Somaśarman’ in brāhmaṇa attire within a stylized city, decorative borders, flat colors, narrative caption space"}

Speakers

• Daityas replying to Dhundhu (addressing him as ‘loka-pāla’ in speech)

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Limits of Asura power
• Cosmic topography (access to Brahmaloka)
• Thresholds and guarded paths
• Counsel within Daitya ranks

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why do the Daityas claim there is ‘no known route’ to Brahmā’s precinct?

Purāṇic cosmology treats higher worlds as accessible only through specific yogic, meritorious, or divinely sanctioned ‘paths’ (gati). The Daityas’ statement underscores that brute force alone does not guarantee passage into Brahmaloka’s sphere.

Does ‘loka-pāla’ here mean one of the eight Lokapālas?

In this line it functions as an honorific address—‘protector of the world’—to the leader being spoken to (Dhundhu). The term also resonates with the technical class of Lokapālas, but the immediate grammar supports it as direct address.

What is ‘pitāmahājira’ in spatial terms?

Literally ‘the Grandfather’s courtyard/precinct,’ it evokes Brahmā’s court (sabhā) as a bounded, guarded space—an architectural metaphor for a cosmological realm.