Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

सहस्रलिङ्गं संपूज्य स्नात्वा कन्याह्रदे शुचिः अभिवाद्य गुरुं शुक्रं सोमतीर्थं जगाम ह

Transliteration

sahasraliṅgaṃ saṃpūjya snātvā kanyāhrade śuciḥ abhivādya guruṃ śukraṃ somatīrthaṃ jagāma ha

Translation

त्याने सहस्रलिङ्गाचे विधिपूर्वक पूजन केले; कन्याह्रदात स्नान करून शुद्ध झाला; गुरु शुक्रांना वंदन करून सोमतीर्थास गेला।

Speakers

• Narratorial voice (Sūta-like narrator) describing the pilgrim’s itinerary within the Saromahatmya section; the verse itself is not direct dialogue.

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Soma (Chandra)
• Shukra (as guru figure)

Key Themes

• Tirtha-yatra (pilgrimage sequence)
• Ritual purity through snāna
• Śaiva devotion (liṅga-pūjā)
• Guru-vandana (reverence to the preceptor)
• Merit accumulation through sequential tirtha visitation

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse pair liṅga-worship with bathing in a hrada (pool)?

In Purāṇic tirtha-vidhi, pūjā and snāna function together: worship establishes devotional intent, while bathing effects ritual purification (śauca). The sequence marks a complete tirtha-observance—devotion plus embodied purification—before moving to the next sacred station.

Who is ‘guru Śukra’ here, and why is he saluted during a pilgrimage itinerary?

Śukra (Uśanas/Kāvya) is the Asura-preceptor and a paradigmatic guru figure. The text models dharmic conduct: even amid tirtha-merit seeking, one must honor the guru, since guru-vandana is itself a source of auspiciousness and legitimacy for rites performed.

What does Soma-tīrtha signify in a geography-driven Purāṇa like the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Soma-tīrtha anchors the landscape in a deity-linked toponym. Such names map divine presence onto specific waters/places, turning geography into a ritual network; Soma-tīrthas often carry connotations of purification, cooling/soothing merit, and sometimes pitṛ-related rites (which the next verse makes explicit).