Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

ततस्तु फाल्गुने मासिं कृष्णाष्टम्यां यतव्रत उपवासं समुदीतं कर्तव्यं द्विजसत्तम

Transliteration

tatastu phālgune māsiṃ kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāṃ yatavrata upavāsaṃ samudītaṃ kartavyaṃ dvijasattama

Translation

Dann, im Monat Phālguna, am achten Mondtag der dunklen Monatshälfte (Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī), o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, soll der in Gelübden Gefestigte das vorgeschriebene Fasten (upavāsa) auf sich nehmen.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् अर्थे (thereafter/from that)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• फाल्गुने: in (the month of) Phālguna
• फाल्गुने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phālguna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (मास-विशेषण); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कृष्ण-अष्टम्याम्: on the dark-fortnight eighth (tithi)
• कृष्ण-अष्टम्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + aṣṭamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (कृष्णपक्षस्य अष्टमी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यत-व्रत: one of restrained vow (O vow-observer)
• यत-व्रत: Karta (कर्ता) / Addressed person
• Type: Noun
• Root: yata (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (यतं व्रतं यस्य/यतव्रतः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि सम्भवः

• उपवासम्: fast
• उपवासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• समुदीतम्: prescribed/declared
• समुदीतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ud-i (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उक्तं/निर्दिष्टं’ (prescribed)

• कर्तव्यम्: must be done/should be performed
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्, gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• द्विज-सत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-सत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (द्विजेषु सत्तमः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative frame typically Pulastya to Nārada (speaker not explicit in provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Calendar (Māsa/Tithi)
• Upavāsa

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Time-discipline is spiritual discipline: aligning practice with sacred calendrics (māsa/tithi) trains steadiness (niyama) and makes devotion rhythmic rather than sporadic.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Like other vrata passages, it belongs to dharma-oriented purāṇic teaching; it is not a cosmogonic or genealogical unit but a prescriptive ritual calendar instruction.

What is the symbolic significance?

Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī (waning phase) often connotes inward turning and austerity; fasting here symbolizes voluntary ‘emptying’ to receive grace, preparing the devotee for the concluding rites described nearby.