Vamana Purana — Trivikrama Theophany, Shloka 17

Vishnu’s Return to Brahmā and the Vāmana–Trivikrama Theophany

Devanagari script

स्वर्गे सहस्रं स तु योजनानां विष्णोः प्रमाणेन हि वामनो ऽभूत् तत्रास्य शक्रः प्रचकार पूजां स्वयंभुवस्तुल्यगुणां महर्षे

Transliteration

svarge sahasraṃ sa tu yojanānāṃ viṣṇoḥ pramāṇena hi vāmano 'bhūt tatrāsya śakraḥ pracakāra pūjāṃ svayaṃbhuvastulyaguṇāṃ maharṣe

Translation

“In Svarga, by Viṣṇu’s own measure, that (stride/extent) became a thousand yojanas; and there Śakra (Indra) performed worship of him—worship endowed with qualities comparable to those of Svayambhū (Brahmā), O great sage.”

Speakers

• Pulastya (narrator) to Nārada (listener) (contextual frame typical of this section)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Indra (Shakra)
• Brahma (Svayambhu)

Key Themes

• Vishnu’s cosmic sovereignty (pramāṇa)
• Deva gratitude and worship (pūjā)
• Avatar theology (Vāmana/Trivikrama)
• Hierarchy and concord among deities

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “a thousand yojanas in Svarga” signify here?

It signals the superhuman, cosmic scale of Viṣṇu’s act (Vāmana/Trivikrama’s measuring stride). The text frames the extent not as human geography but as divine ‘pramāṇa’—a measure set by Viṣṇu himself.

Why is Indra’s worship compared with ‘Svayambhū’s qualities’?

The phrase tulyaguṇāṃ suggests the pūjā was supremely meritorious—worthy of Brahmā-like excellence—emphasizing that Indra’s honoring of Viṣṇu is not merely political gratitude but a theologically elevated act.

Is this verse describing Vāmana or Trivikrama?

It names Vāmana, yet the ‘measure/stride’ motif belongs to Trivikrama. Purāṇic narration often keeps both aspects continuous: the dwarf who becomes the cosmic measurer.