Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मा त्वं महाबाहो मतिमेतां समादधः वैराजभुवनं धुन्धो दुरारोहं सदा नृभिः

Transliteration

tasmānmā tvaṃ mahābāho matimetāṃ samādadhaḥ vairājabhuvanaṃ dhundho durārohaṃ sadā nṛbhiḥ

Translation

tatrāsataḥ: of me staying there; mahān kālaḥ: a long time/extended period; abhyagāt: passed by/elapsed; māsi: in the month; bhādrapade: (in) Bhādrapada (lunar month); dvādaśī: the 12th lunar day; śravaṇa-dvādaśī: the Dvādaśī associated with the Śravaṇa nakṣatra (or named ‘Śravaṇa’), considered auspicious for vrata and tīrtha-bathing.

Speakers

• Advisers/elders to Dhundhu (direct address)

Primary Deities

• Brahma
• Viraja (cosmic principle/personage implied by Vairāja-bhuvana)

Key Themes

• Cosmic hierarchy and restricted realms
• Warning against hubris (ati-māna)
• Limits of Asuric power before Vedic/cosmic order

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ‘Vairāja-bhuvana’ in Purāṇic cosmology?

Vairāja-bhuvana denotes a high cosmic station associated with Virāja—the cosmic ordering principle often connected with the universal body and Brahmā’s domain. It signifies a realm protected by tapas, Veda, and hierarchy, not easily penetrated by force.

Why does the verse say it is difficult ‘for mortals’ (nṛbhiḥ) if Dhundhu is a Dānava?

‘Nṛbhiḥ’ can function generically for embodied beings attempting ascent by mere power. The point is that brute strength or conquest does not grant access; qualification (adhikāra) through dharma/tapas is implied.

Is this a moral injunction or a strategic warning?

Both: it discourages adharmic ambition (moral) and signals that the target realm is inherently guarded by Vedic potency and cosmic law (strategic).