Vamana Purana — Merit of the Vamana Purana, Shloka 13

The Merit of Hearing and Reciting the Vamana Purana (Phalaśruti)

Devanagari script

इदं रहस्यं परमं तवोक्तं न वाच्यमेतद्धरिभक्तिवर्जिते द्विजस्य निन्दारतिहिनदक्षिणे सहेतुवाक्यावृतपापसत्त्वे

Transliteration

idaṃ rahasyaṃ paramaṃ tavoktaṃ na vācyametaddharibhaktivarjite dvijasya nindāratihinadakṣiṇe sahetuvākyāvṛtapāpasattve

Translation

ความลับอันสูงสุดนี้ได้กล่าวแก่ท่านแล้ว; ไม่พึงสอนแก่ผู้ปราศจากภักติในพระหริ ไม่พึงสอนแก่ผู้ยินดีในการหมิ่นพราหมณ์ ผู้บกพร่องในทาน และผู้มีสันดานบาปที่ถูกปกปิดไว้ด้วยถ้อยคำอ้างเหตุผลอันแยบยล

Speakers

• Unspecified narrator/teacher to the addressed disciple/interlocutor (‘to you’) within the chapter’s instruction

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Hari

Key Themes

• Rahasya (restricted transmission)
• Adhikāra (eligibility to receive teachings)
• Hari-bhakti as prerequisite
• Protection of sacred lore
• Ethics of speech (brāhmaṇa-nindā)
• Dāna/dakṣiṇā (generosity)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the teaching restricted—what is the principle of ‘adhikāra’?

Purāṇic rahasya passages often require a qualified recipient (adhikārin). Here, devotion to Hari and ethical conduct (non-slander of brāhmaṇas, generosity) are markers of receptivity; without them, the teaching is considered liable to misuse or distortion.

What does ‘sin concealed by reasoned speech’ imply?

It critiques sophistry: a person may cloak harmful intentions or irreligious conduct with persuasive arguments (sa-hetu-vākya). The verse warns that rhetorical skill is not a substitute for dharma and bhakti.

Is ‘dakṣiṇā’ only a ritual fee?

In Purāṇic usage it includes ritual honoraria to officiants and broader charitable giving to the worthy. The verse treats stinginess or refusal to support dharmic institutions as a sign of unfitness for esoteric instruction.