Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 15

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

तद् वरं तस्य च प्रादात् तपसा पङ्कजोद्भवः परितुष्टः स च बली निर्जगाम त्रिविष्टपम्

Transliteration

tad varaṃ tasya ca prādāt tapasā paṅkajodbhavaḥ parituṣṭaḥ sa ca balī nirjagāma triviṣṭapam

Translation

[{"question": "Who is the Pretapāla in this context?", "answer": "Pretapāla literally means a ‘protector/guardian of pretas’ (departed spirits). In Purāṇic narrative, such figures function as liminal officials of the post-mortem realm (often under Yama’s broader jurisdiction), and they appear to explain karmic causality, ritual remedies, or the special power of a tīrtha."}, {"question": "Why does the text introduce a merchant as the questioner?", "answer": "The vaṇik is a common Purāṇic interlocutor: worldly, observant, and practical. His curiosity legitimizes detailed explanations about extraordinary phenomena and allows the māhātmya to teach pilgrimage merit, ritual propriety, and moral causation through accessible questioning."}, {"question": "What is the narrative function of calling the sight ‘most wondrous’ (adbhutatama)?", "answer": "It signals a break from ordinary experience and prepares the listener for a revelation—typically either a hidden tīrtha’s potency, a karmic demonstration, or a supernatural provision (food/water, protection, visions) that underscores the sanctity of the place."}]

Speakers

• Narrator to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Boon fulfillment and narrative escalation
• Heaven (Svarga) as contested space
• Tapas → vara → hubris/conflict trajectory

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of the epithet ‘paṅkajodbhava’ here?

It identifies Brahmā through a standard cosmogenic image—arising from the lotus—reinforcing his role as creator and lawful dispenser of boons within the cosmic order.

Does ‘triviṣṭapa’ have a specific geographic referent in the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Here it denotes Svarga/Devaloka (a celestial realm). Unlike rivers and tīrthas, it is not a terrestrial pilgrimage site, but it functions as a ‘realm-location’ that motivates subsequent conflict when Asuras intrude upon it.

What narrative function does ‘nirjagāma triviṣṭapam’ serve?

It signals the transition from ascetic acquisition of power to its outward deployment—typically an assault on Devas or disruption of cosmic balance—setting up the need for divine intervention later in the cycle.