Vamana Purana — Jabali Bound by the Monkey, Shloka 27

Jabali Bound by the Monkey: Nandayanti’s Ordeal and the Yamuna–Hiranyavati Sacred Corridor

Devanagari script

पुरोन्मत्तपुरेत्येव तत्र देवो महेश्वरः तत्रास्ति तपसो राशिः पिता मम ऋतध्वजः

Transliteration

puronmattapuretyeva tatra devo maheśvaraḥ tatrāsti tapaso rāśiḥ pitā mama ṛtadhvajaḥ

Translation

“Ang pook na iyon ay tunay na tinatawag na Puronmattapura. Doon naroroon ang diyos na si Maheśvara (Śiva). Doon ay may dakilang naipong kapangyarihan ng pag-austeridad—ang aking ama, si Ṛtadhvaja.”

Speakers

• Same speaker continuing to address the same woman; self-identification through lineage (father Ṛtadhvaja) and place-description.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Sthala-purāṇa (place naming and sacralization)
• Śiva’s presence in a tirtha landscape
• Tapas as a ‘stored’ spiritual capital
• Lineage and sanctity (Ṛtadhvaja as tapas-rāśi)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is “tatra devo maheśvaraḥ” a claim of a temple, a liṅga, or a theophany?

The verse states presence (asti) rather than specifying liṅga/ālaya. In tirtha-mahātmya style, this typically indicates a recognized Śiva-seat (sthāna) that may be ritually centered on a liṅga, even if not named here.

What does “tapaso rāśiḥ” convey about Ṛtadhvaja?

It is an honorific metaphor: Ṛtadhvaja is described as a ‘mass/treasury of austerity,’ implying extraordinary ascetic attainment whose merit sacralizes the region and supports the narrative’s sanctity claims.

Why does the text emphasize the place-name Puronmattapura?

Naming is a key mechanism in Purāṇic geography: it fixes the myth to a map. The explicit ‘ity eva’ (“indeed thus called”) signals an etymic/identificatory marker for pilgrims and reciters.