Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

तद् वरं तस्य च प्रादात् तपसा पङ्कजोद्भवः परितुष्टः स च बली निर्जगाम त्रिविष्टपम्

Transliteration

tad varaṃ tasya ca prādāt tapasā paṅkajodbhavaḥ parituṣṭaḥ sa ca balī nirjagāma triviṣṭapam

Translation

{"scene_description": "The merchant, composed yet astonished, approaches Pretapāla to ask about the miracle he has just seen.", "primary_figures": ["merchant (vaṇik)", "Pretapāla (guardian of the departed)"], "setting": "Forest clearing near a sacred spot; the air still charged after the preta’s disappearance.", "color_palette": ["earthy browns", "leafy greens", "white garments", "pale gold highlights"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore painting, gold leaf halVamana Purana,52,16,VamP 52.16,caturthasya kalerādau jitvā devān savāsavān dhundhuḥ śakratvamakaroddhiraṇyakaśipau sati,चतुर्थस्य कलेरादौ जित्वा देवान् सवासवान् धुन्धुः शक्रत्वमकरोद्धिरण्यकशिपौ सति,Andhaka Vadha (Daitya-Utpatti & Deva-Parajaya Prelude),Cosmology / Yuga-Description / Daitya Ascendancy,Adhyaya 52 (Deva-Parajaya and Daitya-Prabhava in Kali’s beginning),52.16,caturthasya kalerādau jitvā devān savāsavān dhundhuḥ śakratvamakaroddhiraṇyakaśipau sati,caturthasya kaler ādau jitvā devān savāsavān dhundhuḥ śakratvam akarod dhiraṇyakaśipau sati,At the beginning of the fourth age

Speakers

• Narrator to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Boon fulfillment and narrative escalation
• Heaven (Svarga) as contested space
• Tapas → vara → hubris/conflict trajectory

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of the epithet ‘paṅkajodbhava’ here?

It identifies Brahmā through a standard cosmogenic image—arising from the lotus—reinforcing his role as creator and lawful dispenser of boons within the cosmic order.

Does ‘triviṣṭapa’ have a specific geographic referent in the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Here it denotes Svarga/Devaloka (a celestial realm). Unlike rivers and tīrthas, it is not a terrestrial pilgrimage site, but it functions as a ‘realm-location’ that motivates subsequent conflict when Asuras intrude upon it.

What narrative function does ‘nirjagāma triviṣṭapam’ serve?

It signals the transition from ascetic acquisition of power to its outward deployment—typically an assault on Devas or disruption of cosmic balance—setting up the need for divine intervention later in the cycle.