Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 47

The Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata: Worship of Vishnu’s Body as the Constellations

Devanagari script

प्रातर्भवति मे घोरा मृत्युतुल्या विषूचिका न च कश्चिन्माभ्यासे तत्र तिष्ठति बान्धवः

Transliteration

prātarbhavati me ghorā mṛtyutulyā viṣūcikā na ca kaścinmābhyāse tatra tiṣṭhati bāndhavaḥ

Translation

“At dawn a dreadful illness—viṣūcikā, equal to death—comes upon me; and no kinsman remains there near me, staying by my side.”

Speakers

• Unspecified in prompt; verse is in first person
• likely a sufferer/penitent speaking to a sage or interlocutor within Adhyaya 53.

Key Themes

• Karmic suffering (pāpa-phala)
• Human abandonment and social isolation
• Mortality and disease as moral instruction

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is meant by ‘viṣūcikā’ in Purāṇic usage?

In many Dharma/Purāṇa contexts, viṣūcikā denotes a sudden, severe digestive disorder (vomiting/diarrhea), sometimes treated as a near-fatal affliction. It can function both as a medical description and as a didactic marker of pāpa-phala (the ripening of demerit).

Why does the verse emphasize that no relative stays nearby?

The line underscores the social consequence of extreme suffering—fear of contagion, disgust, or stigma—serving as a moral contrast to dharmic ideals of care for the sick and the vulnerable.

Does this verse itself indicate a specific tīrtha?

No. The verse is experiential and ethical; any geographical anchoring must come from surrounding verses of Adhyaya 53, not from 53.47 alone.