Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 60

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

नेत्रभास इति ख्यातो ज्येष्ठो भ्राता ममासुर मम नाम पिता चक्रे गतिभासेति कौतुकात्

Transliteration

netrabhāsa iti khyāto jyeṣṭho bhrātā mamāsura mama nāma pitā cakre gatibhāseti kautukāt

Translation

{"has_teaching": true, "teaching_type": "bhakti", "core_concept": "Saguna-upāsanā: approaching the Lord in a manifest form at a tīrtha, using cosmic correspondences (nakṣatra-puruṣa) as a devotional method.", "teaching_summary": "The Lord is accessible through form (rūpa) and name (Jagannātha); tīrtha and vrata-like observance aligned with cosmic order (nakṣatras) becomes a vehicle for grace and inner change.", "vedantic_theme": "īśvara as jagat-kāraṇa and antaryāmin approached through upāsanā; integration of cosmic order with devotion.", "practical_application": "Undertake tīrtha-worship with disciplined observance (time/astral mindfulness), offering prayers and vows with sincerity rather than mere display."}

Word by Word

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Speakers

• Same unnamed Asura narrator continuing to speak to an unnamed listener

Key Themes

• Asura genealogy
• Name-etymology and characterization
• Narrative self-positioning

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "hasya", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the significance of the names Netrabhāsa and Gatibhāsa?

Both names are built on bhāsa (‘shine, radiance’), suggesting a thematic pairing: Netrabhāsa (‘radiance of the eyes/vision’) and Gatibhāsa (‘radiance of movement/trajectory’). Purāṇic narratives often use such names to foreshadow traits—perception/vision for one, speed/agency or ‘course of destiny’ for the other.

Why does the verse say the father named him ‘kautukāt’?

Kautuka indicates a light, whimsical motive—‘out of amusement’—which can subtly imply that the naming is not solemnly ritualized but narrative and character-driven, sometimes hinting at irony or later reversal of fortune.

Are any deities or sacred places invoked here?

No. The verse is confined to familial identification and naming; it contains no explicit deity-invocation or tīrtha geography.