Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 30

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

Devanagari script

ततो ऽस्यां वरणायं च तीर्थेषु च पृथक् पृथक् सर्वपापहराद्येषु स्नात्वार्ऽच्य पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

tato 'syāṃ varaṇāyaṃ ca tīrtheṣu ca pṛthak pṛthak sarvapāpaharādyeṣu snātvār'cya pitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

त्यानंतर या क्षेत्रात, वराणा नदीतही, आणि विविध तीर्थांत एकेक करून—सर्वपापहर इत्यादींमध्ये स्नान करून—त्याने पितरांची व देवतांची अर्चना केली।

Speakers

• Narratorial voice describing ritual sequence at Kāśī’s tirthas.

Primary Deities

• Pitrs (ancestors)
• Devas (collective deities)

Key Themes

• Pilgrimage circuits (tīrtha-parikramā logic)
• Sin-removal through snāna
• Pitṛ-tarpaṇa and ancestral worship
• Multi-tīrtha ritual sequencing in Kāśī

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘pṛthak pṛthak’ imply about the practice described?

It indicates a sequential pilgrimage circuit: the pilgrim bathes and performs worship at multiple distinct tīrthas, treating each as a separate ritual node rather than a single generalized bath.

Is ‘Sarvapāpahara’ a specific place or a general epithet?

In Purāṇic tīrtha catalogues, ‘sarvapāpahara’ can function both ways: (1) as a descriptive epithet for especially potent tīrthas, and (2) as a proper name for a particular bathing spot in some local enumerations. The verse’s phrasing ‘ādyeṣu’ (“beginning with…”) fits either reading, signaling that the circuit starts with the most sin-destroying site(s).

Why are Pitṛs worshipped alongside devatās in a Kāśī itinerary?

Kāśī is portrayed as a comprehensive ritual landscape where obligations to gods and ancestors converge. Bathing at tīrthas is paired with pitṛ-kriyā (e.g., tarpaṇa/śrāddha-related offerings) to complete dharmic duties and maximize the merit of the pilgrimage.