Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 25

The Caturmasya Observances and the Rite of Vishnu’s Sleep (Aśūnya-Śayana) and Shiva’s Monthly Vows

Devanagari script

द्वितीये ऽह्नि द्विजाग्र्याय फलान् दद्याद् विचक्षणः लक्ष्मीधरः प्रीयतां मे इत्युच्चार्य निवेदयेत्

Transliteration

dvitīye 'hni dvijāgryāya phalān dadyād vicakṣaṇaḥ lakṣmīdharaḥ prīyatāṃ me ityuccārya nivedayet

Translation

Am zweiten Tag soll der Einsichtige einem vorzüglichen Brahmanen Früchte geben; indem er spricht: „Möge Lakṣmīdhara an mir Gefallen finden“, soll er sie darbringen.

Word by Word

• dvitīye: on the second (day)
• dvitīye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/काल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस? here locative; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative/7th), एकवचन; used adverbially with ‘ahni’ (day)

• ahni: on the day
• ahni: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dvijāgryāya: to the foremost Brahmin
• dvijāgryāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (dative/4th), एकवचन; समासः: द्विजानाम् अग्र्यः (best of the twice-born)

• phalān: fruits
• phalān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष? actually प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person) एकवचन in injunctional style; परस्मैपद; ‘दा’ = to give

• vicakṣaṇaḥ: the discerning one
• vicakṣaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• lakṣmīdharaḥ: Lakṣmīdhara (Viṣṇu)
• lakṣmīdharaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: लक्ष्मीं धरति इति (bearer of Lakṣmī)

• prīyatām: may (he) be pleased
• prīyatām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prī (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; आशीर्वाद/प्रार्थना: ‘may (he) be pleased’

• me: of me / for me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive/6th) एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative)

• uccārya: having uttered
• uccārya: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud+car (धातु) → uccārya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive)

• nivedayet: should offer/present
• nivedayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni+vid (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘to offer/present’

Speakers

• Narrative frame not specified in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada
• but not asserted here)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Lakṣmīdhara)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Dāna (charity)
• Brahmin-feeding/gifting as ritual support
• Bhakti
• Vaishnavism

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual devotion is concretized through dāna: pleasing Viṣṇu (Lakṣmīdhara) is sought not only by prayer but by ethically supporting religious recipients (dvijāgrya), linking bhakti with social duty.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This remains in the dharma/ācāra (vrata and dāna) layer, ancillary to pancalakṣaṇa. It is prescriptive instruction rather than sarga/pratisarga or dynastic history.

What is the symbolic significance?

Offering fruits (simple, sattvic gifts) symbolizes non-violence and purity; directing it to a worthy dvija frames the vow as sustaining dharma’s human institutions while invoking Lakṣmīdhara—prosperity harmonized with righteousness.