Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 64

The Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata: Worship of Vishnu’s Body as the Constellations

Devanagari script

गयायां तीर्थजुष्टायां स्नात्वा शौचसमन्वितः मम नाम समुद्दिश्य पिण्डनिर्वपणं कुरु

Transliteration

gayāyāṃ tīrthajuṣṭāyāṃ snātvā śaucasamanvitaḥ mama nāma samuddiśya piṇḍanirvapaṇaṃ kuru

Translation

ณคยา อันเป็นสถานที่ตถาคตแห่งตีรถะ ครั้นอาบน้ำชำระกายให้บริสุทธิ์แล้ว จงอุทิศนามของเราและกระทำการถวายปิณฑะ (ปิณฑทาน) เถิด

Speakers

• Pretapāla instructing the merchant’s son; Nārada is the framed listener in the narration.

Key Themes

• Gayā-śrāddha and ancestral rites
• Tīrtha as a means of liberation/relief for the departed
• Ritual purity (śauca) as prerequisite for offerings
• Name-invocation (nāma-samuddeśa) in śrāddha intention-setting

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Gayā singled out for piṇḍa offerings?

Across Purāṇic and Itihāsa traditions, Gayā is a premier pitṛ-tīrtha (ancestral pilgrimage center) where śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna are held to yield exceptional efficacy for pitṛs/pretas—relief, elevation of status, and completion of obligations.

What does ‘tīrtha-juṣṭā’ imply about Gayā?

It marks Gayā as a place ‘resorted to’ and sanctified by repeated sacred use—by sages, pilgrims, and tradition—thereby intensifying the fruit of rites performed there compared to ordinary locations.

What is the ritual logic of ‘invoking my name’ before piṇḍa-nirvapaṇa?

Śrāddha requires saṅkalpa (intentional specification) identifying the recipient(s). ‘Mama nāma samuddiśya’ functions as recipient-designation so the offering is directed to the particular departed being seeking benefit.