Vamana Purana — Vamana's Birth, Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

सर्वशास्त्रेषु नैपुण्यं गत्वा देवो ऽक्षयो ऽव्ययः प्रोवाच ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठं भरद्वाजमिदं वचः

Transliteration

sarvaśāstreṣu naipuṇyaṃ gatvā devo 'kṣayo 'vyayaḥ provāca brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhaṃ bharadvājamidaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

सर्व शास्त्रांत नैपुण्य प्राप्त करून, अक्षय-अव्यय देवाने ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ भरद्वाजास हे वचन सांगितले।

Speakers

• Narrator describing Vāmana (deva) addressing Bharadvāja

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Vāmana)

Key Themes

• Authority of śāstra
• Divine omniscience/imperishability
• Preparation for tīrtha-oriented action

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse emphasize mastery of “all śāstras” before Vāmana speaks?

It frames the forthcoming instruction as fully authoritative—Vāmana’s counsel is not merely situational but grounded in comprehensive dharma-knowledge, a common Purāṇic strategy to validate a pilgrimage or ritual directive.

Who is Bharadvāja here, and why is he addressed as “brāhmaṇaśreṣṭha”?

Bharadvāja is a paradigmatic Vedic seer associated with learning and ritual expertise. Calling him “foremost among brāhmaṇas” establishes him as a fit recipient and transmitter of tīrtha and dharma knowledge.

What is signaled by the epithets “akṣaya” and “avyaya”?

They highlight the deity’s transcendence and reliability: the speaker is beyond decay and loss, so his guidance regarding sacred geography and ritual consequence is presented as unfailing.