Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 42
Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti
ततो दितीश्वरः श्रीमान् मृगव्यां स चचार ह चरन् सरस्वतीं पुण्यां ददर्श विमलोदकाम्
tato ditīśvaraḥ śrīmān mṛgavyāṃ sa cacāra ha caran sarasvatīṃ puṇyāṃ dadarśa vimalodakām
பின்னர் திதி வம்சத்தின் புகழ்மிக்க தலைவன் வேட்டைக் களத்தில் உலாவினான்; உலாவும் போது தூய்மையான நீருடைய புனித சரஸ்வதியை அவன் கண்டான்।
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FAQs
The vision of a ‘puṇyā’ river with ‘vimala’ waters underscores a recurring Purāṇic ethic: purity is accessible in the world, but one must align conduct with that purity; merely encountering sanctity does not neutralize predatory intent.
This is best classified under Vamśānucarita/Itihāsa narration with strong Tīrtha-māhātmya coloration, since the narrative foregrounds Sarasvatī as a sacred geographic actor.
Sarasvatī’s clear waters symbolize sattva, clarity, and Vedic continuity. Placing an asuric leader in a ‘mṛgavyā’ (hunt-space) beside a pure river creates a deliberate tension between predation and purification—often used to foreshadow moral testing or divine intervention.