Vamana Purana — Sacred Abodes of Vishnu & Shiva, Shloka 34

Catalogue of Vishnu and Shiva’s Sacred Abodes (Tirtha-Mahatmya within the Pulastya–Narada Frame)

Devanagari script

बलभ्यामपि गोमित्रं कटाहे पङ्कजप्रियम् उपेन्द्रं सिंहलद्वीपे शक्राह्वे कुन्दमालिनम्

Transliteration

balabhyāmapi gomitraṃ kaṭāhe paṅkajapriyam upendraṃ siṃhaladvīpe śakrāhve kundamālinam

Translation

କଟାହ ଦେଶରେ ‘ଗୋମିତ୍ର’—ପଦ୍ମପ୍ରିୟ (ପଙ୍କଜପ୍ରିୟ); ସିଂହଲଦ୍ୱୀପରେ ‘ଉପେନ୍ଦ୍ର’; ଏବଂ ଶକ୍ରାହ୍ୱରେ ‘କୁନ୍ଦମାଲିନ’ ନାମକ ରୂପ।

Speakers

• Narratorial/compendial voice within the tīrtha-catalogue (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Upendra)
• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Sacred geography beyond mainland (dvīpa references)
• Vaiṣṇava epithets within a broader kṣetra-catalogue
• Indra–Viṣṇu linkage (Upendra)
• Floral/lotus symbolism in devotion

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Viṣṇu called “Upendra” here, and what does it imply?

Upendra means “Indra’s younger (brother),” a standard name for Viṣṇu. In Purāṇic theology it often signals Viṣṇu’s role in restoring Indra’s sovereignty—especially thematically aligned with the Vāmana episode—though this verse itself functions as a geographic placement of that Upendra-form.

What is the geographical value of mentioning Siṃhaladvīpa?

It extends the sacred map to island geographies, showing that tīrtha-identity and divine localization are not confined to a single region. Such references help reconstruct the Purāṇa’s imagined pilgrimage-world (kṣetra-network) across Bhārata and adjacent lands.

How should we read “Śakrāhva” and “Kundamālin” together?

Śakrāhva is the toponym (“Indra-named place”), while Kundamālin is the deity’s localized epithet (“garlanded with kunda flowers”). The pairing follows the catalogue’s method: place-name + distinctive divine name to uniquely index a worship-site.