Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

कोटिसंख्यास्तपः सिद्धा हरदर्शलालसाः अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमित्येवं वादिनो मुन्

Transliteration

koṭisaṃkhyāstapaḥ siddhā haradarśalālasāḥ ahaṃ pūrvamahaṃ pūrvamityevaṃ vādino mun

Translation

ഓ മുനേ! തപസ്സിലൂടെ സിദ്ധി നേടിയ കോടിസംഖ്യ തപസ്വികൾ ഹരന്റെ ദർശനം ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് തമ്മിൽ തർക്കിച്ചു—‘ഞാൻ ആദ്യം, ഞാൻ ആദ്യം’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു।

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic speaker) addressing a sage (muni); broader frame typically a r̥ṣi-to-r̥ṣi dialogue in tīrtha-māhātmya sections.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Hara/Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-māhātmya (pilgrimage glory)
• Darśana of Śiva
• Ascetic rivalry and humility
• Tapas and siddhi

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why do perfected ascetics quarrel if they are ‘tapaḥ-siddha’?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often depict even advanced beings momentarily overtaken by subtle ego (ahaṃkāra) when competing for divine audience. The episode functions as a didactic contrast: tapas grants power, but humility and order are still required for auspicious darśana.

What is implied by ‘Hara-darśana’ in a tīrtha context?

Darśana here is not mere seeing; it is a sacral encounter that sanctifies the place and the devotee. Such passages typically prepare for a localized manifestation of Śiva that becomes the basis for naming a tīrtha.

Does ‘koṭi’ indicate literal numbers or a conventional hyperbole?

In Purāṇic style, ‘koṭi’ can be both: a literal large count and a conventional marker of vastness. In tīrtha-māhātmya, it underscores the extraordinary sanctity of the site—so great that multitudes of siddhas converge there.