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

{"scene_description": "A pilgrim at a sacred ford invokes Sudarśana; lions, serpents, and wild beasts soften and withdraw as a radiant discus-sound spreads like a protective wave.", "primary_figures": ["Pilgrim/devotee", "Sudarśana-cakra (personified radiance)", "Viṣṇu (implied presence)", "Lions", "Serpents"], "setting": "Riverbank tīrtha near Kurukṣetra; scrub-forest edge with animals at a distance.", "color_palette": ["gold", "deep blue", "vermillion", "forest green", "smoky gray"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, gold leaf haloed Sudarśana chakra emanating concentric sound-waves, Vishnu implied in iconographic aura, devotee at Sarasvati tirtha, subdued lions and serpents, ornate jewelry, rich reds and blues, temple-like framing.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastels, riverside tirtha with gentle hills, small devotee chanting, stylized lions and snakes turning calm, luminous discus motif in the sky, delicate linework, serene atmosphere after fear.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines and flat natural pigments, Sudarśana as fiery circular mandala, devotee in añjali, animals rendered in profile, sacred river and trees, protective energy filling eight directions.", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll panel, folk narrative layout, Sudarśana chakra with patterned rim, devotee at tirtha, rows of animals pacified, decorative borders, natural dyes, clear storytelling composition."}

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.