Varaha Purana 39.25: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 25

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Pūrva Bhāga · Vrata-vidhi (Ritual Observances and Calendar Rites)

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा उवाच । यदा मार्गशिरे मासि दशम्यां नियतात्मवान् । कृत्वा देवार्चनं धीमानग्निकार्यं यथाविधि ॥ ३९.२५ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 39.25

Transliteration

durvāsā uvāca | yadā mārgaśire māsi daśamyāṃ niyatātmavān | kṛtvā devārcanaṃ dhīmān agnikāryaṃ yathāvidhi || 39.25 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

দুৰ্বাসা ক’লে—মাৰ্গশীৰ্ষ মাহৰ দশমী তিথিত নিয়তচিত্ত আৰু বিবেকী ব্যক্তি দেৱাৰ্চনা কৰি, বিধিমতে অগ্নিকাৰ্য (হোম) সম্পন্ন কৰিব…

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Word by Word

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā (name)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; speaker)
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: क्रिया (Verb/action)
• Root: √वच् (धातु)

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction: 'when')
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Temporal connector)
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)

• मार्गशीर्षे: in (the month of) Mārgaśīrṣa
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative time)
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• मासि: in the month
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative time)
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)

• दशम्याम्: on the tenth (lunar day)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative time)
• Root: दशमी (प्रातिपदिक)

• नियतात्मवान्: one with controlled self
• Type: Adjective
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (नियतो आत्मा यस्य सः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier of implied doer)
• Root: नियत + आत्मन् + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्वा: having done
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial gerund)
• Root: √कृ (धातु)

• देवार्चनम्: worship of the gods
• Type: Noun
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानाम् अर्चनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object of कृत्वा)
• Root: देव + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)

• धीमान्: wise
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier of implied doer)
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अग्निकार्यम्: fire-rite; ritual act with fire
• Type: Noun
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्नेः कार्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object of कृत्वा; understood)
• Root: अग्नि + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• यथाविधि: according to rule
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (यथाविधि = विधिना यथा), अव्यय (adverb)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Adverbial manner)
• Root: यथा + विधि (अव्यय-समास)

Sandhi Notes

• मार्गशिरे = मार्गशीर्षे (सप्तमी एकवचन; poetic/phonetic variant in transmission)
• धीमानग्निकार्यं = धीमान् + अग्निकार्यम् (न् + अ → न)
• यथाविधि = यथा + विधि (अव्ययीभाव)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhakti rasaSetting: Yajña-śālā / domestic altar setting

Speaker

Durvāsā

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Karma-bhakti synthesis

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticeCalendar Observances

Core idea

Discipline (niyama) and correct performance (yathā-vidhi) sanctify action; devotion is enacted through ordered ritual.

In practice

Choose an auspicious calendrical observance; perform worship and any prescribed homa with attention to procedure, purity, and intention.

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vedic Ritualism
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects the Purāṇic codification of ritual calendars (month and tithi) and the integration of domestic/temple worship (devārcana) with fire-rites (agnikārya), illustrating how later Sanskrit literature systematized earlier ritual idioms for broader social transmission.

Which geographic location is identified?

No explicit geographic site is named in this verse; the reference is temporal (the month Mārgaśīrṣa and the daśamī tithi) rather than locational.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds disciplined conduct (niyatātmavān) and procedural correctness (yathāvidhi), presenting ethical self-restraint and careful adherence to established method as central virtues within ritual practice.