Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 29

Shiva’s Kedara-Tirtha and the Rise of Mura: From Shaiva Pilgrimage to Vaishnava Theology

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच श्रुयतां कथयिष्यामि मुरासुरनिबर्हणम् विचित्रमिदमाख्यानं पुण्यं पापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca śruyatāṃ kathayiṣyāmi murāsuranibarhaṇam vicitramidamākhyānaṃ puṇyaṃ pāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

పులస్త్యుడు పలికెను—వినుడి, మురాసురుని సంహారాన్ని నేను వివరిస్తాను. ఈ కథనం విచిత్రమైనది, పుణ్యప్రదమైనది, పాపనాశకమైనది।

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• श्रुयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रुयताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि प्रयोग; passive imperative 3rd sg: 'let it be heard'

• कथयिष्यामि: I shall narrate
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (णिजन्त धातु from कथ्/कथ)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 1st sg

• मुर: Mura
• मुर: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; first member in compound

• असुर: demon
• असुर: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; second member in compound

• निबर्हणम्: the destruction of the demon Mura
• निबर्हणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + बर्ह्/बर्हण (प्रातिपदिक; from धातु बर्ह् 'to destroy')
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: मुर-असुर-निबर्हणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; object of कथयिष्यामि

• विचित्रम्: wonderful/varied
• विचित्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective qualifying आख्यानम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• आख्यानम्: narrative/story
• आख्यानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'this narrative' (apposition/object)

• पुण्यम्: meritorious/holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective qualifying आख्यानम्

• पाप: sin
• पाप: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; first member in compound

• प्रणाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• प्रणाशनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु) + अन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: पाप-प्रणाशनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective-noun used as epithet of आख्यानम्

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Narada
• Pulastya

Key Themes

• Phalaśruti (hearing brings merit)
• Purāṇic narrative as purification
• Asura-nigraha (divine removal of evil)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the function of calling the story ‘puṇya’ and ‘pāpa-praṇāśana’?

It is a phalaśruti-style marker: the act of attentive listening/recitation is framed as spiritually efficacious, aligning narrative reception with ritual merit and purification.

Does ‘vicitra’ suggest embellishment or doctrinal purpose?

Both: ‘wondrous’ signals marvels typical of Purāṇic myth, while also indicating that the episode carries layered meaning—ethical (evil’s defeat), theological (Viṣṇu’s protection), and often tīrtha-linked sanctification in the broader section.

Is any sacred geography encoded here?

Not in this śloka. The verse prepares for the account; geographical anchoring (if present in the chapter) must be extracted from subsequent verses that name rivers, tīrthas, forests, or regions.