Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच/ कथयस्व कुरादीनां शयने विधिमुत्तमम् सर्वमनुक्रमेणैव पुरस्कृत्य जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca/ kathayasva kurādīnāṃ śayane vidhimuttamam sarvamanukrameṇaiva puraskṛtya janārdanam

Translation

Nārada said: “Tell me the excellent procedure for the śayana (‘sleep’) rite, beginning with Kura and the others, explaining everything in due order, having first invoked (and placed foremost) Janārdana.”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद; आत्मनेपद-रूप ‘कथयस्व’ (imperative middle usage)

• कुरादीनाम्: of the Kurus and others
• कुरादीनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (plural); ‘कुर-आदि’ = ‘Kuru and others’ (ādi-tatpuruṣa)

• शयने: in/for the rite of lying down (sleep)
• शयने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (singular)

• विधिम्: the procedure
• विधिम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘विधिम्’

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘everything’ as object of ‘कथयस्व’

• अनुक्रमेण: in sequence / in order
• अनुक्रमेण: करण/रीति (Karaṇa/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/रीति (instrumental of manner)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: निपात (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed foremost / having honored
• पुरस्कृत्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् + √कृ (धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having placed in front / having honored’

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

Speakers

• Nārada to Pulastya (query initiating the instruction)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Janārdana)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Vaishnavism
• Dialogic transmission (guru–śiṣya frame)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual discipline is framed as ordered knowledge (anukrama) anchored in devotion: one begins by placing the deity (Janārdana) foremost, implying that correct intention and divine orientation govern practice.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This passage aligns best with ācāra/dharma material (ritual observance) rather than the five classic lakṣaṇas; within Purāṇic organization it functions as vrata-vidhi instruction, adjacent to dharma/vaṃśānucarita layers but not itself genealogical or cosmogonic.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Puraskṛtya Janārdanam’ symbolizes the primacy of the divine in all undertakings: the ‘sleep’ of Hari is not absence but a sacred calendrical mode (Caturmāsya) in which devotees align time, body, and worship.