Vamana Purana — Prahlada at Kurukshetra, Shloka 13

Origin of the Chakra-Trishula Exchange

Devanagari script

यत्र सा सुरभिर्देवी स्वसुतां कपिलां शुभाम् देवप्रियार्थमसृजद्धितार्थं जगतस्तथा

Transliteration

yatra sā surabhirdevī svasutāṃ kapilāṃ śubhām devapriyārthamasṛjaddhitārthaṃ jagatastathā

Translation

जिथे देवी सुरभीने देवांना प्रिय व्हावे म्हणून आणि जगताच्या कल्याणासाठी आपली शुभ कन्या कपिला उत्पन्न केली।

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher voice within Saromāhātmya explaining the sanctity of a locale by an origin-episode.

Primary Deities

• Surabhi (Divine Cow)

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Sacred etiology (origin of a holy place)
• Cosmic welfare (jagat-hita)
• Divine bovine symbolism (abundance, purity)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does a Surabhi–Kapilā episode appear in a tīrtha-māhātmya?

Purāṇic tīrtha sections frequently anchor a place’s holiness in an ‘etiological’ event—an origin story that explains why the site grants merit. Surabhi, as the archetypal divine cow, embodies purity and plenitude; linking her (and Kapilā) to the locale frames the tīrtha as a source of auspiciousness and world-benefit.

What does ‘devapriyārtham’ imply in practical religious terms?

It indicates that the event serves a divine purpose—something that pleases or benefits the gods—often implying that worship, offerings (especially dairy-based), and vows performed there align with a cosmic order that the gods favor.

Is Kapilā here the same as Kapilā associated with gifts (kapilā-dāna) in Dharma literature?

The name Kapilā commonly denotes an auspicious tawny cow and is prominent in dāna traditions (e.g., gifting a kapilā cow). While this verse does not explicitly legislate dāna, it draws on the same symbolic register: Kapilā signifies purity, merit, and prosperity, reinforcing the tīrtha’s auspicious character.