Vamana Purana — Prahlada vs Nara-Narayana, Shloka 42
Prahlada’s Defeat by Nara-Narayana and Victory through Bhakti
ततो दितीश्वरः श्रीमान् मृगव्यां स चचार ह चरन् सरस्वतीं पुण्यां ददर्श विमलोदकाम्
tato ditīśvaraḥ śrīmān mṛgavyāṃ sa cacāra ha caran sarasvatīṃ puṇyāṃ dadarśa vimalodakām
Pagkaraan, ang maringal na panginoon ng angkan ni Diti ay gumala sa pook ng pangangaso; at sa kanyang paglalakad, namasdan niya ang banal na Sarasvatī na may malinaw at dalisay na tubig.
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FAQs
The vision of a ‘puṇyā’ river with ‘vimala’ waters underscores a recurring Purāṇic ethic: purity is accessible in the world, but one must align conduct with that purity; merely encountering sanctity does not neutralize predatory intent.
This is best classified under Vamśānucarita/Itihāsa narration with strong Tīrtha-māhātmya coloration, since the narrative foregrounds Sarasvatī as a sacred geographic actor.
Sarasvatī’s clear waters symbolize sattva, clarity, and Vedic continuity. Placing an asuric leader in a ‘mṛgavyā’ (hunt-space) beside a pure river creates a deliberate tension between predation and purification—often used to foreshadow moral testing or divine intervention.