Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Pilgrimage, Shloka 10

Prahlada’s Pilgrimage and the Origin of the Sudarshana–Trishula Exchange (Jalodbhava Episode)

Devanagari script

विधानं संप्रवक्ष्यामि यथायोगेन नारद संपूजितो हरिः कामान् विदधाति यथेप्सितान्

Transliteration

vidhānaṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi yathāyogena nārada saṃpūjito hariḥ kāmān vidadhāti yathepsitān

Translation

Caitramāsa: the lunar month Caitra. Sitāṣṭamī: the bright (śukla) eighth lunar day. Śaśī: the Moon. Mūlagataḥ: ‘gone into Mūla’, i.e., the Moon transiting the Mūla nakṣatra. Bhagavatpādau: the Lord’s feet (pāda), an object of worship; also a locus in the nakṣatra-aṅga scheme. Vidhānataḥ: according to rule/prescription. Nakṣatrasannidhau: ‘in the proximity/presence of the nakṣatra’, i.e., at the time governed by that nakṣatra. Viprendrāya: to a foremost brāhmaṇa. Bhojanam: food/meal; here, feeding as dāna.

Speakers

• Narrator-sage (addressing) Nārada

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Hari)

Key Themes

• Ritual correctness (vidhi)
• Phala-śruti (promise of results)
• Bhakti linked with vrata discipline
• Dharma of worship

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is the verse promising unconditional fulfillment of desires?

The phrasing is a standard Purāṇic phala-śruti: it emphasizes that worship performed ‘yathāyogena’ (properly) yields the intended fruit. Traditional reading assumes desires aligned with dharma and the ritual’s stated aims, not license for adharmic ends.

Why is ‘procedure’ (vidhāna) stressed before discussing benefits?

Purāṇic vrata sections typically ground efficacy in correct observance—timing, purity, offerings, and recipients of dāna. The verse frames the next instructions as the causal basis for the promised fruit.

What role does Nārada play here?

Nārada functions as the exemplary questioner and transmitter: by addressing him, the text signals that the teaching is meant for wider dissemination among devotees and ritual practitioners.