Vamana Purana — Bali Learns of Vamana, Shloka 56

Bali Learns of Vamana in Aditi’s Womb and Prahlada Teaches Refuge in Hari

Devanagari script

अहं च पापोपशमार्थमीशमाराध्य यास्ये प्रतितीर्थयात्राम् विमुक्तपापश्च ततो गमिष्ये यत्राच्युतो लोकपतिर्नृसिंहः

Transliteration

ahaṃ ca pāpopaśamārthamīśamārādhya yāsye pratitīrthayātrām vimuktapāpaśca tato gamiṣye yatrācyuto lokapatirnṛsiṃhaḥ

Translation

“And I too, for the sake of the pacification of sin, having worshiped the Lord, will undertake a pilgrimage to each sacred ford (tīrtha). Freed from sin thereafter, I shall go to that place where Acyuta—the lord of the worlds—(is present as) Nṛsiṃha.”

Speakers

• Unspecified in the excerpt (first-person vow within the narrative; speaker commits to worship and tīrtha-yātrā)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Prāyaścitta through worship
• Tīrtha-yātrā as purification
• Nṛsiṃha devotion
• Sin-removal (pāpopaśama)
• Pilgrimage ideology in the Vāmana Purāṇa

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the relationship here between worship (ārādhana) and tīrtha-yātrā?

The verse presents a twofold purificatory program: first propitiation of the Lord, then pilgrimage to tīrthas. In Purāṇic dharma, tīrtha-yātrā is often framed as an extension of devotion—external movement mirroring inner turning toward the divine.

Does “prati-tīrtha-yātrā” imply visiting all tīrthas literally?

It is a conventional hyperbole meaning ‘a comprehensive pilgrimage’—visiting many renowned tīrthas as one’s capacity allows. The emphasis is on intent (pāpopaśama) and disciplined practice rather than an exhaustive geographic itinerary.

Why is Nṛsiṃha invoked in a chapter centered on Vāmana/Bali?

Purāṇas frequently interlink avatāras to stress the unity of Viṣṇu’s saving power across forms. Mentioning Acyuta as Nṛsiṃha underscores that the same supreme Lord who acts as Vāmana is also the fierce protector who removes fear and sin.