Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit, Shloka 69

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

Devanagari script

तस्याधस्थात् त्रिरात्रं स महाभागवतो ऽसुरः स्थितः स्थिण्डिलशायी तु पठन् सारस्वतं स्तवम्

Transliteration

tasyādhasthāt trirātraṃ sa mahābhāgavato 'suraḥ sthitaḥ sthiṇḍilaśāyī tu paṭhan sārasvataṃ stavam

Translation

اس کے نیچے وہ اسُر—اگرچہ بڑا بھگت—تین راتیں ٹھہرا؛ ننگی زمین پر لیٹ کر سارَسوت ستَو کا پاٹھ کرتا رہا۔

Speakers

• Narrator voice; the protagonist (Asura/Daitya prince) is the performer of the stava beneath the divine presence.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Sarasvati

Key Themes

• Bhakti within Asura identity (devotion beyond lineage)
• Night-vigil austerity (trirātra)
• Stuti as a ritual technology
• Sarasvatī-linked praise and sacred speech

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How can an ‘Asura’ be called ‘mahā-bhāgavata’?

Purāṇic theology frequently separates spiritual qualification from birth-lineage. The label ‘mahā-bhāgavata’ asserts that devotion to Bhagavān can be exemplary even in Daitya/Asura figures, often to highlight bhakti’s universality and transformative power.

What is the significance of the ‘three-night’ observance (trirātra) and lying on bare ground?

Trirātra is a compact austerity cycle used to intensify prayer and focus. Sthiṇḍila-śayana (sleeping on bare ground) is a classic tapas marker indicating humility, renunciation of comfort, and ritual seriousness.

What does ‘Sārasvata stava’ imply in this context?

‘Sārasvata’ points to Sarasvatī-associated sanctity—learning, inspired speech, and hymnody—whether directed to Sarasvatī herself or to a hymn tradition rooted in her sacred domain. In forest-austerity scenes, invoking Sārasvata power underscores the role of mantra/stuti as the devotee’s primary ‘resource’.