Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 29

Shiva’s Kedara-Tirtha and the Rise of Mura: From Shaiva Pilgrimage to Vaishnava Theology

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच श्रुयतां कथयिष्यामि मुरासुरनिबर्हणम् विचित्रमिदमाख्यानं पुण्यं पापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca śruyatāṃ kathayiṣyāmi murāsuranibarhaṇam vicitramidamākhyānaṃ puṇyaṃ pāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

普罗陀斯提耶曰：“且听我说，我将叙述诛灭阿修罗牟罗之事。此传说奇妙殊胜，能生功德，亦能灭罪。”

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• श्रुयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रुयताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि प्रयोग; passive imperative 3rd sg: 'let it be heard'

• कथयिष्यामि: I shall narrate
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (णिजन्त धातु from कथ्/कथ)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 1st sg

• मुर: Mura
• मुर: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; first member in compound

• असुर: demon
• असुर: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; second member in compound

• निबर्हणम्: the destruction of the demon Mura
• निबर्हणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + बर्ह्/बर्हण (प्रातिपदिक; from धातु बर्ह् 'to destroy')
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: मुर-असुर-निबर्हणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; object of कथयिष्यामि

• विचित्रम्: wonderful/varied
• विचित्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective qualifying आख्यानम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• आख्यानम्: narrative/story
• आख्यानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'this narrative' (apposition/object)

• पुण्यम्: meritorious/holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective qualifying आख्यानम्

• पाप: sin
• पाप: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; first member in compound

• प्रणाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• प्रणाशनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु) + अन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: पाप-प्रणाशनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective-noun used as epithet of आख्यानम्

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Narada
• Pulastya

Key Themes

• Phalaśruti (hearing brings merit)
• Purāṇic narrative as purification
• Asura-nigraha (divine removal of evil)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the function of calling the story ‘puṇya’ and ‘pāpa-praṇāśana’?

It is a phalaśruti-style marker: the act of attentive listening/recitation is framed as spiritually efficacious, aligning narrative reception with ritual merit and purification.

Does ‘vicitra’ suggest embellishment or doctrinal purpose?

Both: ‘wondrous’ signals marvels typical of Purāṇic myth, while also indicating that the episode carries layered meaning—ethical (evil’s defeat), theological (Viṣṇu’s protection), and often tīrtha-linked sanctification in the broader section.

Is any sacred geography encoded here?

Not in this śloka. The verse prepares for the account; geographical anchoring (if present in the chapter) must be extracted from subsequent verses that name rivers, tīrthas, forests, or regions.