Shloka 2

Gift of Sudarshana — The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच/ शृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा कथामेतां पुरातनीम् चक्रप्रदानसंबद्धां शिवमाहात्मयवर्धिनीम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca/ śṛṇuṣvāvahito bhūtvā kathāmetāṃ purātanīm cakrapradānasaṃbaddhāṃ śivamāhātmayavardhinīm

Translation

bhadrakālīśa: ‘Lord of Bhadrakālī’—a Śaiva shrine-name indicating Śiva associated with (or presiding over) Bhadrakālī; vīrabhadra: Vīrabhadra, Śiva’s fierce emanation/gaṇa-leader; dānava: a Daitya/Dānava (demon lineage), here the pilgrim/actor; dhanādhipa: lord of wealth, typically Kubera; meghaṅka: ‘Meghāṅka’ (a local epithet/name—either of Kubera at this site or a specific deity/shrine designation); girivraja: Girivraja, a named place (classically identified with the Rājagṛha region in Magadha in broader Sanskrit literature).

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada.

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Pulastya
• Narada

Key Themes

• Narrative authorization (śravaṇa injunction)
• Etiology of sacred objects (cakra origin/gifting)
• Śiva-māhātmya within a geography-centered Purāṇa

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Pulastya emphasize ‘avahita’ (attentiveness) before narrating?

Purāṇic discourse treats śravaṇa (listening) as a disciplined act that yields merit and comprehension. Marking attentiveness signals that the forthcoming account is doctrinally and ritually significant, not mere entertainment.

How can a story about giving the cakra be ‘Śiva-māhātmya-vardhinī’ if the cakra is Viṣṇu’s emblem?

Because the narrative’s point is the source and authority behind the gift: Śiva’s lordship, generosity, and cosmic role are highlighted through the act of empowering Viṣṇu. Such episodes often function to articulate Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava complementarity rather than rivalry.

What kind of ‘ancient account’ is being introduced—history, myth, or tīrtha-etiology?

In Purāṇic terms it is itihāsa-like mythic tradition (purātanī kathā) that typically serves etiological purposes—explaining why a deity, weapon, vow, or place is revered. Given the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographical orientation, the backstory commonly reinforces the sanctity of a kṣetra/tīrtha associated with the event.