Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 58

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

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणो गुणवानासीत् प्रभास इति विश्रुतः सर्वसास्त्रार्थवित् प्राज्ञो गोत्रतश् चापि वारुणः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇo guṇavānāsīt prabhāsa iti viśrutaḥ sarvasāstrārthavit prājño gotrataś cāpi vāruṇaḥ

Translation

There was a virtuous brāhmaṇa, renowned by the name Prabhāsa—wise, knowing the meanings of all the śāstras, and by lineage belonging to the Vāruṇa gotra.

Speakers

• Narrative voice (or the brāhmaṇa’s self-account continuing) introducing the brāhmaṇa Prabhāsa to the listeners

Primary Deities

• Varuṇa
• Viṣṇu (Vāmana)

Key Themes

• Brāhmaṇa ideal (learning + virtue)
• Authority through śāstra-knowledge
• Lineage (gotra) as identity marker
• Tīrtha narrative anchored to a name resonant with place

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the text stress ‘sarvaśāstrārthavit’ and ‘prājña’ for this brāhmaṇa?

Such epithets establish credibility and heighten narrative tension: if even a highly learned and virtuous brāhmaṇa suffers a fall/misfortune, the cause is likely weighty—often a subtle dharma lapse, a curse, or an unavoidable karmic fruition, which the tīrtha narrative will unpack.

What is the significance of ‘Vāruṇa gotra’?

Gotra locates a person within a recognized Brahmanical lineage system. ‘Vāruṇa’ links the lineage to Varuṇa (often associated with ṛta, moral order, and waters), which is thematically apt in an episode involving submergence/rescue and a tīrtha setting.

Is ‘Prabhāsa’ here the place or the person?

Grammatically it is a person’s name (‘prabhāsa iti viśrutaḥ’). Yet Purāṇic composition often plays on such overlaps: a person named Prabhāsa within a Prabhāsa-kṣetra cycle can serve as an etymic or symbolic bridge, reinforcing the sanctity and narrative cohesion of the geography-focused section.