Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 4

Vamana’s Birth during Bali’s Horse-Sacrifice and the Mapping of Vishnu’s Sacred Presences

Devanagari script

उत्तराशां प्रजग्मुस्ते नदीमनु शतद्रुकाम् शातद्रवे जले स्नात्वा विपाशां प्रययुस्ततः

Transliteration

uttarāśāṃ prajagmuste nadīmanu śatadrukām śātadrave jale snātvā vipāśāṃ prayayustataḥ

Translation

ते उत्तर दिशेकडे गेले व शतद्रु नदीच्या प्रवाहानुसार चालले। शतद्रुच्या जलात स्नान करून मग ते विपाशेकडे गेले।

Speakers

• Narrator describing the pilgrimage route of the assembled sages.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

Key Themes

• River-bathing (snāna) as tīrtha practice
• Sequential pilgrimage along major rivers
• Sacred geography of the Punjab river system

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is bathing (snāna) emphasized at Śatadrū before proceeding to Vipāśā?

In tīrtha-māhātmya literature, snāna is the primary act that ‘activates’ a place’s merit. The sequence—approach, bathe, then move onward—maps a ritual itinerary where each river is a discrete merit-field (puṇya-kṣetra).

Are Śatadrū and Vipāśā identifiable today?

Yes. Śatadrū corresponds to the Sutlej and Vipāśā to the Beas, both major rivers of the northwestern subcontinent. Purāṇic itineraries preserve older hydronyms that align closely with these modern names.

What does ‘nadīm anu’ convey in a pilgrimage context?

It indicates travel along the river’s course, not merely a single visit-point. This reflects how rivers function as extended sacred corridors, with multiple bathing spots, crossings, and associated tīrthas along their banks.