Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 24

Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

फाल्गुने व्रीहयो मुद्गा वस्त्रकृष्णाजिनादिकम् गोविन्दप्रीणनार्थाय दातव्यं पुरुषर्षभैः

Transliteration

phālgune vrīhayo mudgā vastrakṛṣṇājinādikam govindaprīṇanārthāya dātavyaṃ puruṣarṣabhaiḥ

Translation

फाल्गुनमासे व्रीहिमुद्गवस्त्रकृष्णाजिनादिकं गोविन्दप्रीणनार्थं पुरुषर्षभैर्दातव्यम्।

Speakers

• Unspecified narrator/teacher voice prescribing dharma (contextually a Purāṇic instruction)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Govinda)

Key Themes

• Dāna (charity)
• Māsa-anusāra dharma (month-specific observances)
• Vaiṣṇava devotion through gifting
• Householder piety (gṛhastha-dharma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are rice (vrīhi) and mudga singled out for Phālguna?

Purāṇic month-by-month dāna lists typically align seasonal availability and ritual suitability with devotional intent. In Phālguna, staple grains and pulses symbolize sustenance and completion of the annual cycle, offered as a practical and meritorious gift to support dharmic life while being dedicated to Govinda’s pleasure.

What is the significance of gifting a kṛṣṇājina (black antelope skin)?

Kṛṣṇājina is a classical Vedic emblem of austerity and disciplined study (often linked with brahmacarya and ritual seating). In a dāna context it represents supporting sacred learning and restraint; the Purāṇic framing redirects that merit toward pleasing Viṣṇu (Govinda).

Does this verse describe a tīrtha or pilgrimage act?

No. Although the Vāmana Purāṇa is strongly geographical elsewhere, this unit functions as a dharma-instruction passage: merit is generated through month-specific gifts rather than through named sacred places.