Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

तस्यां स्नात्वा समभ्यर्च्य गोप्रतारे कुशेशयम् उपोष्य रजनीमेकां विरजां नगरीं ययौ

Transliteration

tasyāṃ snātvā samabhyarcya gopratāre kuśeśayam upoṣya rajanīmekāṃ virajāṃ nagarīṃ yayau

Translation

ఆ (సరయూ) నదిలో స్నానం చేసి, గోప్రతారంలో కుశేశయుని విధివిధానంగా ఆరాధించి, ఒక రాత్రి ఉపవాసముండి విరజా నగరికి వెళ్లెను.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice describing the pilgrim’s rites and movement.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Kuśeśaya)

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Vaiṣṇava worship at a ford (ghāṭa)
• Upavāsa (fasting) as pilgrimage discipline
• Ritual sequence: snāna → arcana → upavāsa → onward travel

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is Gopratāra and why is it important?

Gopratāra is presented as a specific crossing/ford (pratāra) on the sacred river, a typical locus for bathing and worship. Such named ghāṭas function as micro-tīrthas within a larger river-tīrtha, each with its own deity and ritual prescription.

Who is Kuśeśaya in this context?

Kuśeśaya is a Vaiṣṇava epithet—‘the one resting on the lotus/kuśa-bed’—used for Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa. The text links the geography (a named ford) to a specific form/title of the deity worshipped there.

Why is a one-night fast inserted into the itinerary?

Upavāsa is a standard intensifier of tīrtha-merit. By placing a night-fast between worship and travel, the verse signals a disciplined observance (vrata-like) rather than mere sightseeing, aligning bodily restraint with sacred movement.