Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 36
Shiva’s Kedara-Tirtha and the Rise of Mura: From Shaiva Pilgrimage to Vaishnava Theology
ततो ऽमरावतीं ऋद्धः स गत्वा शक्रमाह्वयत् न चास्य सह योद्धुं वै मतिं चक्रे पुरन्दरः
tato 'marāvatīṃ ṛddhaḥ sa gatvā śakramāhvayat na cāsya saha yoddhuṃ vai matiṃ cakre purandaraḥ
मग तो सामर्थ्याने फुगून अमरावतीस गेला व शक्राला आव्हान दिले; पण पुरंदराने त्याच्याशी समोरासमोर युद्ध करण्याचा निश्चय केला नाही.
{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The verse refers to the unnamed aggressor in this excerpt (a daitya/asura figure in the Andhaka-related narrative stream). “Ṛddhaḥ” signals inflated power and pride, a common Purāṇic marker preceding a challenge to the devas and a subsequent divine intervention.
Purāṇic narratives often portray Indra as cautious when confronted by an asura who has gained extraordinary boons or momentum. The hesitation indicates either the opponent’s superior immediate strength or Indra’s recognition that a higher divine agency (often Śiva or Viṣṇu in the larger cycle) must restore balance.
Even when not describing terrestrial tīrthas, the text situates events in sacral cosmography. Amarāvatī functions as the celestial counterpart to earthly pilgrimage geographies, anchoring the narrative in the mapped universe of Svarga-loka.