Varaha Purana 20.33: Adhyaya 20, Shloka 33
The Birth of the Aśvins: Solar Lineage, Saṃjñā and Chāyā, and the Granting of a Hymn and Boons
Pūrva Bhāga · Vrata-phala (Ritual Observance and Merit Statements)
एतस्यां रूपकामास्तु पुष्पाहारो भवेन्नरः । संवत्सरं शुचिर्नित्यं सुस्वरूपी भवेन्नरः । अश्विभ्यां ये गुणाः प्रोक्तास्ते तस्यापि भवन्ति च ॥ २०.३३ ॥
etasyāṃ rūpakāmās tu puṣpāhāro bhaven naraḥ | saṃvatsaraṃ śucir nityaṃ susvarūpī bhaven naraḥ | aśvibhyāṃ ye guṇāḥ proktās te tasyāpi bhavanti ca || 20.33 ||
etasyAM rUpakAmastu puShpAhAro bhavennaraH | saMvatsaraM shuchirnityaM susvarUpI bhavennaraH | ashvibhyAM ye guNAH proktAste tasyApi bhavanti cha || 20.33 ||
An diesem Tag soll, wer Schönheit begehrt, sich von Blumen nähren. Bleibt er ein Jahr lang stets rein, so wird er von vortrefflicher Gestalt; und die Eigenschaften, die den Aśvins zugeschrieben werden, werden auch ihm zuteil.
Sandhi Notes
- भवेन्नरः = भवेत् + नरः (त् + न → न्न)
- शुचिर्नित्यम् = शुचिः + नित्यम् (विसर्ग-लोप)
- तस्यापि = तस्य + अपि
- प्रोक्तास्ते = प्रोक्ताः + ते (विसर्ग-लोप)
Varāha
Curious / receptive
What observance grants beauty and the Aśvins’ qualities to a human?
Outer regimen (āhāra, śauca, niyama) reshapes inner and outer qualities; the body becomes a field for dharmic cultivation.
Adopt disciplined diet and daily purity practices with a clear intention (saṅkalpa) over a fixed period; maintain consistency to realize stated fruits.
For one year, remain pure and (as a discipline for beauty) subsist on flowers; thereby one gains excellent form and Aśvin-like qualities.
Following yields rūpa-sampad and acquisition of Aśvin-guṇas; breaking purity/discipline implies loss of intended fruit (no explicit naraka stated).
One-year observance; linked contextually to dvitīyā-tithi praise (20.20.32) though not explicitly restricted
Susrūpatā (excellent form/beauty), purity, and attainment of the Aśvins’ declared qualities (radiance, excellence, healing aptitude by implication).
20.20.31 (Aśvin boons include healing skill); 20.20.32 (dvitīyā-tithi eminence); 20.20.34 (listening yields sin-removal and progeny)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic literary pattern of vrata-phala statements—brief prescriptions paired with promised outcomes—useful for reconstructing medieval South Asian devotional and ascetic practices in Sanskrit textual culture.
No geographic toponym is present in this verse; the focus is on a discipline (puṣpāhāra) and its attributed results.
The verse promotes disciplined bodily restraint and sustained purity over a fixed period (one year), presenting self-regulation as a means to cultivate personal excellence (here framed as beauty and desirable qualities).
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
