Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

तस्यां स्नात्वा महानद्यां संपूज्य च जगत्पतिम् समुपोष्य शुचिर्भूत्वा दत्वा विप्रेषु दक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

tasyāṃ snātvā mahānadyāṃ saṃpūjya ca jagatpatim samupoṣya śucirbhūtvā datvā vipreṣu dakṣiṇām

Translation

Having bathed in that great river, and having worshipped the Lord of the world, he observed a fast; becoming purified, he then gave dakṣiṇā (honoraria/gifts) to the brāhmaṇas.

Speakers

• Narrator describing the completion of the Kauśikī rite-sequence.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Jagatpati)

Key Themes

• Ritual sequence at a river-tīrtha (snāna → pūjā → upavāsa)
• Dana/Dakṣiṇā to brāhmaṇas as completion of merit
• Purity (śuci) as outcome of disciplined pilgrimage
• Vaishnava devotion embedded in tirtha practice

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is giving dakṣiṇā to vipras emphasized after bathing and worship?

Purāṇic tīrtha-rituals often culminate in dāna/dakṣiṇā: it ‘seals’ the rite by transferring merit through generosity and supporting the custodians of Vedic practice. The sequence indicates that pilgrimage is not only personal purification but also social-sacral reciprocity.

Does ‘śucir bhūtvā’ mean physical cleanliness or moral purity?

Both are intended. Snāna establishes ritual purity, while upavāsa and worship cultivate inner discipline; the phrase functions as a compact marker that the pilgrim is fit to perform dāna and receive the tīrtha’s promised fruit.

How does this verse reinforce the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographic agenda?

By attaching a standardized rite-pattern and promised efficacy to a named river-node (Kauśikī), the text turns geography into a lived itinerary: places are not merely listed but operationalized through repeatable actions (snāna, pūjā, upavāsa, dāna) that define the site’s religious ‘function’.