Varaha Purana 42.2 — Adhyaya 42, Shloka 2
Ritual Procedure for the Phālguna Bright-Fortnight Dvādaśī Narasiṃha Worship, with the Narrative of King Vatsa
नरसिंहाय पादौ तु गोविन्दायेत्युरू तथा । कटिं विश्वभुजे पूज्य अनिरुद्धेत्युरस्तथा ॥ ४२.२ ॥
narasiṁhāya pādau tu govindāyety-urū tathā | kaṭiṁ viśvabhuje pūjya aniruddhety-uras tathā || 42.2 ||
পদদ্বয় ‘নরসিংহায়’ নামে নিবেদন করবে; উরুদ্বয় ‘গোবিন্দায়’ মন্ত্রে। কটিদেশ ‘বিশ্বভুজ’ রূপে পূজ্য, আর বক্ষস্থল ‘অনিরুদ্ধ’ নামে।
Varāha (default speaker framework; not explicit in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"Govinda-name is a strong Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu epithet; here used in nyāsa without explicit Mathurā narrative."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"Perform a limb-assignment worship (nyāsa/aṅga-pūjā): feet as Narasiṃha, thighs as Govinda, waist as Viśvabhuja, chest as Aniruddha.","karmic_consequence":"Correct nyāsa purifies worship and concentrates mind; incorrect/neglect weakens ritual efficacy (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Hari-pūjā with aṅga-nyāsa (as part of the Phālguna-śukla Dvādaśī observance)","tithi_month":"Phālguna māsa, śukla pakṣa, dvādaśī (by continuity with 42.42.1)","promised_fruit":"Implied: enhanced merit and focused devotion through properly embodied worship."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The deity’s body is mapped onto mantras/names, turning the worshipper’s perception into a living maṇḍala; the cosmic Person is approached through ordered embodiment (aṅga-nyāsa).","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Body-as-yajña-field: limbs become stations of invocation; names (Narasiṃha, Govinda, Viśvabhuja, Aniruddha) function like ritual placements (nyāsa) establishing divine presence.","vedantic_connection":"Supports saguna-upāsanā: the One Brahman/Viṣṇu is contemplated through differentiated nāma-rūpa without losing unity; disciplined imagination (bhāvanā) as a means to steadiness of mind."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"upāsanā-vidhi (method of contemplation)","core_concept":"Devotion becomes stable when the divine is contemplated systematically in the body/limbs—order creates presence.","practical_application":"In pūjā or japa, use structured nyāsa to reduce distraction; associate divine qualities with bodily regions to internalize protection and remembrance."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Vaiṣṇava Theology","Mantra and Nyāsa","Iconography"]
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: ritual-psychophysical space (nyāsa)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: adjacent verses continuing aṅga-pūjā assignments (42.42.3 etc.)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A worshipper performs aṅga-nyāsa before a Viṣṇu icon: touching feet, thighs, waist, chest while reciting names—Narasiṃha, Govinda, Viśvabhuja, Aniruddha.","item_prompts":["Viṣṇu icon or yantra","devotee touching limbs (nyāsa gestures)","mantra scroll/rosary","four-armed symbolism hinted for Viśvabhuja","temple lamp and offerings"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized devotee in profile performing nyāsa, Viṣṇu shrine with ornate arch; clear hand-gestures marking limbs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf Viṣṇu icon, devotee in rich attire performing nyāsa; emphasis on jewelry and ritual vessels.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined interior shrine scene, subtle gesture depiction, soft lamp glow, detailed textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: compact indoor shrine, clear sequential gesture narrative (small panels or repeated figure), delicate linework."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"mantric, methodical","suggested_raga":"Madhyamāvati (ritual closure/auspiciousness)","pace":"slow-medium (to match placements)","voice_tone":"precise, softly emphatic on divine names"}
FAQs
It documents a ritual-technical practice (aṅga-nyāsa/mental placement of divine names on body parts) that reflects the integration of Vaiṣṇava theology with embodied liturgical discipline in Purāṇic transmission.
No geographic location is named in this verse; the content is primarily ritual and iconographic rather than topographical.
The verse emphasizes disciplined, respectful ritual attention—revering the body as a structured locus for contemplative practice through orderly invocation of divine epithets.
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