Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 6

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

तस्यां स्नात्वा महानद्यां संपूज्य च जगत्पतिम् समुपोष्य शुचिर्भूत्वा दत्वा विप्रेषु दक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

tasyāṃ snātvā mahānadyāṃ saṃpūjya ca jagatpatim samupoṣya śucirbhūtvā datvā vipreṣu dakṣiṇām

Translation

त्या महानदीत स्नान करून आणि जगत्पतीचे पूजन करून त्याने उपवास केला; शुद्ध होऊन मग ब्राह्मणांना दक्षिणा अर्पण केली।

Speakers

• Narrator describing the completion of the Kauśikī rite-sequence.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Jagatpati)

Key Themes

• Ritual sequence at a river-tīrtha (snāna → pūjā → upavāsa)
• Dana/Dakṣiṇā to brāhmaṇas as completion of merit
• Purity (śuci) as outcome of disciplined pilgrimage
• Vaishnava devotion embedded in tirtha practice

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is giving dakṣiṇā to vipras emphasized after bathing and worship?

Purāṇic tīrtha-rituals often culminate in dāna/dakṣiṇā: it ‘seals’ the rite by transferring merit through generosity and supporting the custodians of Vedic practice. The sequence indicates that pilgrimage is not only personal purification but also social-sacral reciprocity.

Does ‘śucir bhūtvā’ mean physical cleanliness or moral purity?

Both are intended. Snāna establishes ritual purity, while upavāsa and worship cultivate inner discipline; the phrase functions as a compact marker that the pilgrim is fit to perform dāna and receive the tīrtha’s promised fruit.

How does this verse reinforce the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographic agenda?

By attaching a standardized rite-pattern and promised efficacy to a named river-node (Kauśikī), the text turns geography into a lived itinerary: places are not merely listed but operationalized through repeatable actions (snāna, pūjā, upavāsa, dāna) that define the site’s religious ‘function’.