Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 54
Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)
तुङ्ड्गेषु तालो नलिनीषु पम्पा वनौकसेष्वेव च ऋक्षराजः महीरुहेष्वेव यथा वटश्च यथा हरो ज्ञानवतां वरिष्ठः
tuṅḍgeṣu tālo nalinīṣu pampā vanaukaseṣveva ca ṛkṣarājaḥ mahīruheṣveva yathā vaṭaśca yathā haro jñānavatāṃ variṣṭhaḥ
Sa mga punong tuṅḍga, ang tāla (punong palma) ang nangunguna; sa mga lawa ng lotus, ang Pampā ang nangunguna; sa mga naninirahan sa gubat, ang hari ng mga hayop (leon) ang nangunguna; sa mga puno, ang vaṭa (balete/banyan) ang nangunguna—gayon din, si Hara (Śiva) ang pinakadakila sa mga marurunong.
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FAQs
The verse frames spiritual excellence through familiar superlatives in nature: as certain natural forms are paradigmatically ‘chief,’ so too the ideal of wisdom culminates in devotion to (or alignment with) Hara—implying that true jñāna matures into recognition of the supreme.
It is best classified as embedded stuti/upadeśa rather than one of the five defining Purāṇic topics; it supports theological orientation within the text’s broader narrative architecture.
Banyan (vaṭa) symbolizes longevity and shelter; Pampā symbolizes sacred purity and beauty; the ‘king’ among forest-beings symbolizes sovereignty. Hara as ‘best among the wise’ places ascetic-transcendent consciousness as the apex of these symbols.