Varaha Purana 60.3 — Adhyaya 60, Shloka 3
The Rite of the Śāntivrata: A Yearlong Observance with Viṣṇu-on-Śeṣa and Nāga-Anganyāsa Worship
नक्तं देवं तु सम्पूज्य हरिं शेषोपरि स्थितम् । अनन्तायेति पादौ तु वासुकायेति वै कटिम् ॥ ६०.३ ॥
naktaṃ devaṃ tu sampūjya hariṃ śeṣopari sthitam | anantāyeti pādau tu vāsukāyeti vai kaṭim || 60.3 ||
Nachts, nachdem man Hari, den Göttlichen, der auf Śeṣa ruht, ordnungsgemäß verehrt hat, soll man die Füße mit dem Namen „Ananta“ anrufen und wahrlich die Taille mit dem Namen „Vāsuka“.
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"Hari-on-Śeṣa iconography anticipates later Vaiṣṇava temple worship that culminates in Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, but no direct Mathurā/Kṛṣṇa reference here."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"Perform nocturnal worship of Hari resting on Śeṣa, assigning divine serpent-names to body-parts (feet as Ananta; waist as Vāsuki) as a nyāsa-like identification.","karmic_consequence":"Correct mantric identification stabilizes protection and devotion; incorrect/neglected procedure is said to reduce efficacy (mantra-śakti) of the rite."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Śeṣa-śayana-Hari-pūjā with nāga-nāma-nyāsa (as part of the Kārttika observance sequence)","tithi_month":"Within the Kārttika vrata-cycle; performed at night (naktam)","promised_fruit":"Protection, steadiness of mind, and enhanced merit through properly embodied worship (aṅga-pūjā/nyāsa)."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Ritual interiorization (aṅga-devatā-bhāvanā)","core_concept":"The deity is approached through ordered attention to limbs and names, training concentration (ekāgratā) and sacralizing perception.","practical_application":"During pūjā, proceed limb-by-limb with clear name-recitation, maintaining a single devotional visualization of Hari on Śeṣa."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Vaishnavism","Mantric Identification","Sacred Iconography"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: Iconic/temple setting (conceptual)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 60.60.4-5 (continuation of limb/name assignments)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Night-time worship: Hari reclining/poised upon Śeṣa; the worshipper performs aṅga-pūjā, touching/gesturing to feet and waist while reciting Ananta and Vāsuki.","item_prompts":["Hari on Śeṣa (multi-hooded serpent couch)","oil lamp/night setting","worshipper’s hand-gestures to feet/waist","pūjā tray with flowers and incense"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: deep night blues, glowing lamp; Hari on Śeṣa with stylized serpent hoods; devotee performing aṅga-nyāsa with precise mudrā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate Hari-on-Śeṣa icon with gold work; lamp-lit night; devotee below labeling limbs with Ananta/Vāsuki in inscription-like bands.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant temple interior, soft chiaroscuro; detailed Śeṣa couch; refined gestures of limb worship.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate shrine scene under moonlight; simplified Śeṣa couch; lyrical focus on lamp and recitation posture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"Devotional and focused","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"Medium","voice_tone":"Soft but precise, mantra-like articulation"}
FAQs
It preserves a ritual-lexical convention in Purāṇic literature where parts of Viṣṇu’s form are associated with nāga names (Śeṣa/Ananta/Vāsuka), reflecting medieval South Asian iconography and liturgical address formulas.
No specific geographic toponym is mentioned in this verse; the content is primarily ritual and iconographic rather than a sacred-geography notice.
The verse emphasizes disciplined and attentive worship—careful, respectful address to the divine form—presented as a procedural (rather than coercive) guideline within a Vaiṣṇava devotional-ritual framework.
Ask anything about this verse
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