8th Adhyaya of "Shree Vamana-Purana" is very beautiful and tells about Prahlada Maharaj, who being the Raja of asuras has resorted not to simple Shree Vishnu-Bhakti, but to Shree Vishnu-Jnana-Bhakti with Yogic Vairagya.
A lofty bhakta is always recognized by the boons he asks from His Ishta-Dewata.
So Prahlada Maharaj asked for 3 boons from Bhagavan Shree Narayana ("Shree Vamana-Purana", Verses 8.58-79).
1st Boon - Here Prahlada Maharaj asked about UpaBhakti, that is preliminary stage at which sins and tamasik/rajasika vasanas destroyed - पापं लयं यातु शारीरं मानसं तथ वाचिकं - pApaM layaM yAtu shArIraM mAnasaM tatha vAchikaM
2nd Boon - Prahlada Maharaj asks about granting to him exalted Bhakti-Bhava - त्वच्चिता त्वत्परायणा - tvachchitA tvatparAyaNA - "I wish my mind to be fixed only on Devotion to You (Bhagavan Shree Vishnu)"
3rd Boon - Prahlada Maharaj asks about Dasya-Bhakti! त्वत्पादपङ्कजाभ्यां हि ख्यातिरस्तु सदा मम - tvatpAdapa~NkajAbhyAM hi khyAtirastu sadA mama - I would like to be Bhakta praying at Your Lotus Feet eternally
Epilogue Verses are more than beautiful - they tell about Bhakti Vairagya of Prahlada Maharaj - राज्यं परित्यज्य (rAjyaM parityajya - renouncing the Kingdom) and resorting to Shree Vishnu-Dhyana (ध्यान् स्मरन् केशवमप्रमेयं - dhyAn smaran keshavamaprameyaM - meditating on Bhagavan Shree Keshava).
Article by Vishnudut1926,
Moscow, December
"Shree Vamana-Purana" Verses cited from
