Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

तं ददर्श महातेजाः प्रह्लादो भक्तिमान् वशी कोटितीर्थे ततः स्नात्वा तर्पयित्वा वसुन् पितॄन् रुद्रकोटिं समभ्यर्च्य जगाम कुरुजाङ्गलम्

Transliteration

taṃ dadarśa mahātejāḥ prahlādo bhaktimān vaśī koṭitīrthe tataḥ snātvā tarpayitvā vasun pitṝn rudrakoṭiṃ samabhyarcya jagāma kurujāṅgalam

Translation

he was wholly devoted to Nārāyaṇa."

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing Prahlāda’s pilgrimage actions (listener not specified in the excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Rudra/Sthāṇu/Śaṅkara)
• Vasus
• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage sequence)
• Snāna and Tarpana rites
• Pitṛ-yajña (ancestral offerings)
• Śaiva sacred-site veneration within a broader Purāṇic itinerary

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is Prahlāda here, and why is he performing snāna and tarpana?

Prahlāda is the paradigmatic bhakta of Viṣṇu, yet Purāṇas often portray great devotees undertaking complete dharmic observances. Bathing at a tīrtha and offering tarpana to the Vasus and Pitṛs marks a standard pilgrimage-rite sequence: purification (snāna) followed by satisfying deities/ancestors (tarpana) before proceeding to further worship.

What is ‘Rudrakoṭi’—a deity, a shrine, or a place?

In this context it functions as a named sacred locus (tīrtha/kshetra) associated with Rudra/Śiva—either a shrine where Rudra is worshipped or a place sanctified by Rudra’s presence. The immediate continuation (seeing Sthāṇu/Śaṅkara) supports a Śaiva site-identification.

What does the move to Kurujāṅgala indicate in the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geography?

Kurujāṅgala denotes a Kuru-region tract, used in Purāṇic itineraries to map pilgrimage routes across northern sacred landscapes. The verse situates Koṭitīrtha and Rudrakoṭi within a broader corridor leading into the Kuru country.