Shloka 69

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

Devanagari script

तस्याधस्थात् त्रिरात्रं स महाभागवतो ऽसुरः स्थितः स्थिण्डिलशायी तु पठन् सारस्वतं स्तवम्

Transliteration

tasyādhasthāt trirātraṃ sa mahābhāgavato 'suraḥ sthitaḥ sthiṇḍilaśāyī tu paṭhan sārasvataṃ stavam

Translation

அதன் கீழே அந்த அசுரன்—மகாபாகவதனாக இருந்தும்—மூன்று இரவுகள் தங்கினான்; வெறும் தரையில் படுத்து சாரஸ்வத ஸ்தவத்தைப் பாராயணம் செய்தான்.

Speakers

• Narrator voice; the protagonist (Asura/Daitya prince) is the performer of the stava beneath the divine presence.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Sarasvati

Key Themes

• Bhakti within Asura identity (devotion beyond lineage)
• Night-vigil austerity (trirātra)
• Stuti as a ritual technology
• Sarasvatī-linked praise and sacred speech

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How can an ‘Asura’ be called ‘mahā-bhāgavata’?

Purāṇic theology frequently separates spiritual qualification from birth-lineage. The label ‘mahā-bhāgavata’ asserts that devotion to Bhagavān can be exemplary even in Daitya/Asura figures, often to highlight bhakti’s universality and transformative power.

What is the significance of the ‘three-night’ observance (trirātra) and lying on bare ground?

Trirātra is a compact austerity cycle used to intensify prayer and focus. Sthiṇḍila-śayana (sleeping on bare ground) is a classic tapas marker indicating humility, renunciation of comfort, and ritual seriousness.

What does ‘Sārasvata stava’ imply in this context?

‘Sārasvata’ points to Sarasvatī-associated sanctity—learning, inspired speech, and hymnody—whether directed to Sarasvatī herself or to a hymn tradition rooted in her sacred domain. In forest-austerity scenes, invoking Sārasvata power underscores the role of mantra/stuti as the devotee’s primary ‘resource’.