Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 67

Prahlada’s Pilgrimage Circuit: Tirtha-Mahatmya from Naimisha to Rudrakoti and Shalagrama

Devanagari script

तत्रोष्य दैत्येश्वरसूनुरादरान्मासत्रयं मूलफलाम्बुभक्षी निवेद्य विप्रप्रवरेषु काञ्चनं जगाम घोरं स हि दण्डकं वनम्

Transliteration

tatroṣya daityeśvarasūnurādarānmāsatrayaṃ mūlaphalāmbubhakṣī nivedya viprapravareṣu kāñcanaṃ jagāma ghoraṃ sa hi daṇḍakaṃ vanam

Translation

{"recitation_mood": "Apotropaic and commanding, ending in reassurance.", "suggested_raga": "Bhairav", "pace": "medium", "voice_tone": "Firm, resonant, protective", "sound_elements": ["conch-like drone", "metallic shimmer suggesting cakra", "low mridanga pulse", "wind through trees", "distant animal calls fading"]}

Word by Word

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Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Purāṇic frame (contextual narration of Bali/Daitya prince’s conduct; explicit interlocutors not stated in these verses).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Tapas (austerity) through regulated diet
• Dāna (charity) to Brahmins
• Pilgrimage/transition into sacred wilderness
• Ethical legitimation of power through ritual generosity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the detail of ‘three months on roots, fruits, and water’ emphasized?

In Purāṇic narrative, a regulated, minimal diet marks tapas as disciplined rather than merely self-torturing. It signals inner restraint (saṃyama) and ritual fitness, often preceding a major encounter with divinity or a decisive turn in the story.

What is the narrative function of giving gold to Brahmins before entering Daṇḍaka?

Dāna to qualified Brahmins is presented as a dharmic act that ‘stabilizes’ the merit of austerity. It also frames the protagonist’s movement into the forest not as lawless wandering but as a sanctioned, merit-bearing transition.

What is Daṇḍaka in Purāṇic geography?

Daṇḍaka is a well-known forest-region of Itihāsa-Purāṇa memory, associated with formidable wilderness and ascetic life. Mentioning it evokes a liminal sacred landscape—remote, dangerous, and suited to tapas and transformative encounters.