Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

तत्रस्थेन सुरेशेन श्वेतकिर्नाम भूपतिः रक्षितस्त्वन्तकं दग्ध्वा सर्वबूतापहारिणम्

Transliteration

tatrasthena sureśena śvetakirnāma bhūpatiḥ rakṣitastvantakaṃ dagdhvā sarvabūtāpahāriṇam

Translation

There, by the Lord of the gods who was present (in that place), the king named Śvetakir was protected—after (the deity) burned Antaka, the abductor/destroyer of all beings.

Speakers

• Narrative voice of the Purāṇa (introducing a kṣetra-legend explaining protective power of the site/deity)

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Mahākāla/Sureśa)

Key Themes

• Kṣetra-rakṣā (protection granted by the sacred site/deity)
• Death-conquest motif (burning of Antaka)
• Mahākāla as guardian of devotees
• Local legend supporting tīrtha-mahima

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is 'sureśa' here—Indra or Śiva?

While 'sureśa' can denote Indra, the immediate context is Mahākāla/Śaṅkara in the preceding verses. Thus the title is best read as Śiva’s supremacy in the kṣetra: the 'Lord over the gods' who protects and destroys the death-figure Antaka.

What does Antaka represent in this legend?

Antaka literally means 'ender' and commonly functions as a personification of death or a death-like destructive being. The epithet 'sarvabhūtāpahārin' reinforces this: death 'takes away' all beings. Burning Antaka dramatizes Mahākāla’s mastery over death/time.

How does this verse serve the geography-driven purpose of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

It anchors theology in place: the kṣetra is not only a location for rites (snāna/pūjā) but a protective power-zone where the resident deity intervenes. Such legends function as 'proof-texts' for why pilgrims should visit and trust the efficacy of the Mahākāla–Śiprā region.