Shloka 59
न तु सा वाग्यता देवी तस्य पत्नी यतव्रता उपोषितास्मीति रविं तस्मिन् दृष्टे ददर्श च
na tu sā vāgyatā devī tasya patnī yatavratā upoṣitāsmīti raviṃ tasmin dṛṣṭe dadarśa ca
But the goddess Vāgyatā—his wife, steadfast in her vow—did not remain unmoved. Thinking, “I am fasting,” when she beheld him, she also beheld Ravi, the Sun, in that very sight.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: Vrata and inner disposition shape perception; austerity can heighten one’s sense of the sacred in ordinary encounters.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Undertake disciplined practices (fasting/mauna/ekādaśī) with mindfulness, observing how they transform attention and perception rather than becoming mere ritual.
Vishishtadvaita: Discipline (vrata) is meaningful as a devotional offering within the Lord’s order (niyati), integrating body and intention rather than rejecting the world.
Dharma Exemplar: Vrata-niṣṭhā (steadfast observance of vows/fasting)
Key Kings: Sapatnajit
FAQs
This verse frames fasting as a vow-based discipline (vrata) shaping perception and conduct, linking inner restraint with auspiciousness and dharmic order.
By describing the wife as yatavratā, the narrative emphasizes steadfast observance within domestic life as a key marker of dharma and spiritual seriousness.
Ravi functions as an emblem of cosmic order and witnesshood; in Vaiṣṇava Purāṇic thought, such cosmic powers ultimately operate under the sovereignty of the Supreme (Viṣṇu).