Vamana Purana — Sacred Abodes of Vishnu & Shiva, Shloka 27

Catalogue of Vishnu and Shiva’s Sacred Abodes (Tirtha-Mahatmya within the Pulastya–Narada Frame)

Devanagari script

कालिञ्जरे नीलकण्ठं सरय्वां शंभुमुत्तमम् हंसयुक्तं महाकोश्यां सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

kāliñjare nīlakaṇṭhaṃ sarayvāṃ śaṃbhumuttamam haṃsayuktaṃ mahākośyāṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

کالِنجر میں وہ ‘نیلکنٹھ’ ہیں؛ سرَیو پر ‘شمبھو’—سب سے برتر—ہیں؛ اور مہاکوشی میں ‘ہنس یُکت’ روپ میں، جو تمام گناہوں کا ناش کرتا ہے۔

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (continuation of Adhyaya 63’s place-by-place deity listing).

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Sin-removal through tirtha contact (pāpa-kṣaya)
• Regional iconography of Śiva
• Riverine pilgrimage networks
• Purāṇic toponymy and kshetra-identification

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is ‘Mahākośī’ a river or a region?

In Purāṇic usage it can function as either: a river-name (Kośī/Kosi) and, by extension, the surrounding tirtha-region. The locative ‘-yāṃ’ supports a geographic locus—river basin or pilgrimage tract.

What does ‘Haṃsa-yukta’ imply for a Śiva form?

It can indicate a local iconographic tradition (Śiva attended by a haṃsa emblem) or a symbolic yogic reading where haṃsa signifies the liberated ‘paramahaṃsa’ state. In a tirtha-catalogue, it most directly marks a recognizable local epithet for pilgrims.

Why is Nīlakaṇṭha emphasized at Kāliñjara?

Kāliñjara is a prominent hill-site; associating it with Nīlakaṇṭha highlights Śiva’s ascetic, mountain-linked presence and the protective power implied by the ‘blue-throat’ mythos (bearing poison for cosmic welfare).