Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

कृतोपवासस्तवष्टम्यां नवम्यां स्नानमाचरेत् प्रीयतां मे हिरण्याक्षो दक्षिणा सतिला स्मृता

Transliteration

kṛtopavāsastavaṣṭamyāṃ navamyāṃ snānamācaret prīyatāṃ me hiraṇyākṣo dakṣiṇā satilā smṛtā

Translation

Nachdem man am achten Mondtag (aṣṭamī) gefastet hat, soll man am neunten (navamī) das Bad vollziehen. (Man bete:) „Möge Hiraṇyākṣa mir gewogen sein.“ Die vorgeschriebene dakṣiṇā (Priesterhonorar) wird als „mit Sesam“ (satilā) überliefert.

Word by Word

• कृत-उपवासः: having observed the fast
• कृत-उपवासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृ धातु; कृदन्त) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थ (kṛtaḥ upavāsaḥ yena/one who has performed a fast)

• तु: then / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• नवम्याम्: on the ninth (tithi)
• नवम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: navamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आचरेत्: should perform / should practice
• आचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-car (चर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• प्रीयताम्: may (he) be pleased
• प्रीयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prī (प्री धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive usage), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आशीर्लिङ्गार्थ (may be pleased)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• हिरण्याक्षः: Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyākṣa (हिरण्य+अक्ष; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (golden-eyed; proper name/epithet)

• दक्षिणा: the priestly fee / gift
• दक्षिणा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; दानवाचक

• स-तिला: with sesame
• स-तिला: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + tila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (tilaiḥ saha/with sesame)

• स्मृता: is prescribed / is remembered (as)
• स्मृता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (is said/remembered)

Speakers

• Dialogue framework not explicit in the provided excerpt (commonly Pulastya → Nārada in this portion of the Vāmana Purāṇa).

Primary Deities

• Hiraṇyākṣa (invoked)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Purificatory bathing (snāna)
• Dāna (dakṣiṇā)
• Kārttika observances (context continues in next verse)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames austerity (fasting) and purification (bathing) as disciplines that culminate in devotion and generosity (dakṣiṇā). The ethical emphasis is that ritual merit is completed by giving—especially in a prescribed, sattvic form (here, with sesame).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This belongs primarily to ācāra/dharma instruction rather than the five classic purāṇic topics; within pancalakṣaṇa-aligned classification it is best tagged under ancillary dharma/vrata material, not sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita/manvantara.

What is the symbolic significance?

Aṣṭamī fasting followed by navamī bathing encodes restraint followed by purification. Sesame (tila) is widely symbolic of expiation and ancestral/ritual efficacy, suggesting that the rite aims at removing blemish and stabilizing merit through a tangible offering.