Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच मिथुनाभिगते सूर्ये शुक्लपक्षे तपोधन एकादश्यां जगत्स्वामी शयनं परिकल्पयेत्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca mithunābhigate sūrye śuklapakṣe tapodhana ekādaśyāṃ jagatsvāmī śayanaṃ parikalpayet

Translation

Pulastya said: “O treasure of austerity, when the Sun has entered Mithuna (Gemini), in the bright fortnight, on the Ekādaśī tithi, one should arrange the śayana (‘sleep’) rite of the Lord of the world.”

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• मिथुनाभिगते: when (the sun) has entered Gemini
• मिथुनाभिगते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिथुन + अभिगत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु; समास)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘मिथुन-आभिगत’ = ‘having entered Gemini’; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) used locatively with ‘सूर्ये’

• सूर्ये: when the sun (is)
• सूर्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘शुक्ल-पक्ष’ = bright fortnight

• तपोधन: O ascetic-wealth (sage)
• तपोधन: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• एकादश्याम्: on the Ekādaśī (day)
• एकादश्याम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• जगत्स्वामी: the Lord of the world
• जगत्स्वामी: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जगत्-स्वामिन्’ = lord of the world

• शयनम्: the lying-down (sleeping rite)
• शयनम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परिकल्पयेत्: should arrange / should perform
• परिकल्पयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Jagatsvāmī)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Vaishnavism
• Sacred time (tithi + solar transit)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse teaches dharma as alignment with sacred time: devotion is not only emotion but also disciplined participation in cosmic rhythms (solar ingress, pakṣa, tithi).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It is primarily ācāra/dharma (vrata-kalpa) material rather than sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita/manvantara. Many Purāṇas embed such ācāra passages alongside the five-lakṣaṇa narrative strata.

What is the symbolic significance?

Mithuna ingress and Ekādaśī together symbolize the convergence of solar order and lunar devotion; ‘Hari’s sleep’ inaugurates a liminal season (Caturmāsya) where restraint and worship intensify.