Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 58
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 5817 Shlokas

Adhyaya 58: The Procedure for the Saubhāgyakaraṇa Vow (Rite for Auspicious Fortune)

Saubhāgyakaraṇa-vrata-vidhiḥ

Ritual-Manual (Vrata and Dāna Prescriptions)

Este capítulo enseña un vrata que otorga saubhāgya (fortuna auspiciosa) a mujeres y hombres, transmitido como instrucción a un rey que pregunta. Fija el inicio en Phālguna, en la quincena luminosa, el tercer día lunar (tṛtīyā), con observancia nocturna (nakta) y requisitos éticos como pureza y veracidad. Expone un modelo de culto sincrético: devoción a Hari con Śrī (Lakṣmī) o a Rudra con Umā/Gaurī, afirmando explícitamente que, según la lectura śāstrica, no deben separarse. Presenta una secuencia de imposición de nombres al modo de nyāsa sobre partes del cuerpo, seguida de ofrendas de fragancias y flores y un homa con miel, ghee y sésamo. Indica reglas dietéticas mes a mes, culminando en Māgha śukla-tṛtīyā con la donación de iconos de oro y un dāna estructurado de seis vasijas a un brāhmaṇa cualificado, prometiendo prosperidad a través de múltiples nacimientos; la disciplina estacional sugiere un orden humano-ecológico por consumo regulado y alineación calendárica.

Speakers

VarāhaPṛthivī

Key Concepts

Saubhāgya (auspicious fortune) through vrata-disciplineŚiva–Viṣṇu non-difference framed as śāstric hermeneuticsTithi-based ritual calendrics (Phālguna śukla tṛtīyā; Māgha śukla tṛtīyā)Nakta-vrata (night observance) and satyavāda (truthfulness)Homa with madhu, ghṛta, tila; and dāna of six pātrasMonth-wise dietary regulation as social-ecological restraint
Recitation with translationVaraha Purana Adhyaya 58

Shlokas in Adhyaya 58

Verse 1

अगस्त्य उवाच । अतः परं महाराज सौभाग्यकरणं व्रतम् । शृणु येनाशु सौभाग्यं स्त्रीपुंसामुपजायते ॥ ५८.१ ॥

Agastya dijo: «Después de esto, oh gran rey, escucha el voto (vrata) que produce buena fortuna; por él, la prosperidad y el bienestar auspicioso surgen pronto tanto en mujeres como en hombres».

Verse 2

फाल्गुनस्य तु मासस्य तृतीया शुक्लपक्षतः । उपासितव्या नक्तेन शुचिना सत्यवादिना ॥ ५८.२ ॥

En el mes de Phālguna, el tercer día lunar de la quincena luminosa debe observarse con ayuno nocturno, por quien es puro y veraz en su palabra.

Verse 3

सश्रीकं च हरिं पूज्य रुद्रं वा चोमया सह । या श्रीः सा गिरिजा प्रोक्ता यो हरिः स त्रिलोचनः ॥ ५८.३ ॥

Habiendo adorado a Hari junto con Śrī, o bien a Rudra junto con Umā, debe comprenderse: la Śrī de la que se habla es Girijā (Pārvatī), y el Hari del que se habla es Trilocana (Śiva).

Verse 4

एवं सर्वेषु शास्त्रेषु पुराणेषु च पठ्यते । एतस्मादन्यथा यस्तु ब्रूते शास्त्रं पृथक्तया ॥ ५८.४ ॥

Así se enseña en todos los śāstras y también en los Purāṇas. Pero quien, apartándose de esto, expone el śāstra de modo divergente, como si estuviera dividido en partes en conflicto—

Verse 5

रुद्रो जनानां मर्त्यानां काव्यं शास्त्रं न तद्भवेत् । विष्णुं रुद्रकृतं ब्रूयात् श्रीर्गौरी न तु पार्थिव । तन्नास्तिकानां मर्त्यानां काव्यं ज्ञेयं विचक्षणैः ॥ ५८.५ ॥

Para los mortales, una composición atribuida a Rudra no debe tenerse por śāstra autoritativo. Si alguien afirmara que Viṣṇu fue creado por Rudra, o que Śrī es en realidad Gaurī y no Pārvatī, oh Pārthivī, los discernientes deben reconocer tal obra como poesía de mortales incrédulos, no como śāstra.

Verse 6

एवं ज्ञात्वा सलक्ष्मीकं हरिं सम्पूज्य भक्तितः । मन्त्रेणानेन राजेन्द्र ततस्तं परमेश्वरम् ॥ ५८.६ ॥

Sabiendo esto, y habiendo adorado con devoción a Hari junto con Lakṣmī, oh el mejor de los reyes, entonces debe adorarse a ese Señor Supremo con este mantra.

Verse 7

गम्भीरायेति पादौ तु सुभगायेति वै कटिम् । उदरं देवदेवेति त्रिनेत्रायेति वै मुखम् । वाचस्पतये च शिरो रुद्रायेति च सर्वतः ॥ ५८.७ ॥

(Debe designarse) los pies con la fórmula «a Gambhīrā»; la cintura con «a Subhagā»; el vientre con «a Devadeva»; el rostro con «a Trinetra»; la cabeza a Vācaspati; y, por todas partes, a Rudra.

Verse 8

एवमभ्यर्च्य मेधावी विष्णुं लक्ष्म्या समन्वितम् । हरं वा गौरीसंयुक्तं गन्धपुष्पादिभिः क्रमात् ॥ ५८.८ ॥

Así, el sabio, tras rendir culto, debe adorar a Viṣṇu acompañado de Lakṣmī, o bien a Hara (Śiva) unido a Gaurī, con fragancias, flores y demás ofrendas, en el debido orden.

Verse 9

ततस्तस्याग्रतो होमं कारयेन्मधुसर्पिषा । तिलैः सह महाराज सौभाग्यपतयेति च ॥ ५८.९ ॥

Luego, ante Él, oh gran rey, debe hacerse un homa con miel y ghee, junto con semillas de sésamo, y también (con la fórmula) «para el Señor de la buena fortuna».

Verse 10

ततस्त्वक्षारविरसं निस्नेहं धरणीतले । गोधूमान्नं तु भुञ्जीत कृष्णेप्येवं विधिः स्मृतः ॥ आषाढादिद्वितीयां तु पारणं तत्र भोजनम् ॥ ५८.१० ॥

Luego, sobre el suelo, debe comerse alimento de trigo, libre de sal alcalina, sin condimento fuerte y sin aceite ni ghee; esta misma regla se recuerda también para la quincena oscura (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa). En el segundo día lunar (tithi) a partir de Āṣāḍha, se concluye la observancia (pāraṇa) con esa comida.

Verse 11

यवअन्नं तु ततः पश्चात् कार्त्तिकादिषु पार्थिव । श्यामाकं तत्र भुञ्जीत त्रीन् मासान् नियतः शुचिः ॥ ५८.११ ॥

Después de eso, oh rey, comenzando con el mes de Kārttika y los meses siguientes, debe comerse el grano śyāmāka, permaneciendo disciplinado y puro durante tres meses.

Verse 12

ततो माघसिते पक्षे तृतीयायां नराधिप । सौवर्णां कारयेद् गौरीं रुद्रं चैक्त्र बुद्धिमान् ॥ ५८.१२ ॥

Entonces, oh rey, en el tercer día lunar (tṛtīyā) de la quincena luminosa de Māgha, el sabio debe mandar hacer una imagen de oro de Gaurī y también de Rudra, colocándolas juntas en un mismo lugar.

Verse 13

सलक्ष्मीकं हरिं चापि यथाशक्त्या प्रसन्नधीः । ततस्तं ब्राह्मणे दद्यात पात्रभूते विचक्षणे ॥ ५८.१३ ॥

Con mente serena y complacida, y según la propia capacidad, debe ofrecer también a Hari junto con Lakṣmī; después, ha de entregar eso a un brāhmaṇa prudente, digno recipiente.

Verse 14

अन्नेन हीने वेदानां पारगे साधुवर्तिनि । सदाचार इति वा दद्यादल्पवित्ते विशेषतः ॥ ५८.१४ ॥

Cuando falta el alimento, aun siendo uno versado en los Vedas y de conducta virtuosa, debe igualmente dar—sobre todo si sus recursos son escasos—ofreciendo en nombre del “sadācāra”, es decir, la buena conducta.

Verse 15

षड्भिः पात्रैरुपेतं तु ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत् । एकं मधुमयं पात्रं द्वितीयं घृतपूरितम् ॥ ५८.१५ ॥

Debe presentarse al brāhmaṇa la ofrenda provista de seis recipientes: uno lleno de miel, y el segundo colmado de mantequilla clarificada (ghee).

Verse 16

तृतीयं तिलतैलस्य चतुर्थं गुडसंयुतम् । पञ्चमं लवणैः पूर्णं षष्ठं गोक्षीरसंयुतम् ॥ ५८.१६ ॥

El tercero ha de ser de aceite de sésamo; el cuarto, mezclado con jaggery o panela (guda); el quinto, lleno de sales; el sexto, mezclado con leche de vaca.

Verse 17

एतानि दत्त्वा पात्राणि सप्तजन्मान्तरं भवेत् । सुभगो दर्शनीयश्च नारी वा पुरुषोऽपि वा ॥ ५८.१७ ॥

Habiendo dado estos recipientes, durante siete nacimientos sucesivos uno se vuelve afortunado y de aspecto agradable, sea mujer o sea hombre.

Inside Adhyaya 58

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Agastya addresses a royal inquirer and introduces a vrata designed to generate saubhāgya (auspicious fortune) for both women and men, foregrounding ethical prerequisites (śauca/purity, satya/truthfulness) and the correct calendrical entry-point.

  2. Central event

    Stepwise prescription of the Saubhāgyakaraṇa vow: commencement on Phālguna śukla-tṛtīyā with nakta observance; syncretic worship options (Hari with Śrī; Rudra with Umā/Gaurī) coupled with an explicit śāstric claim that these divine pairs are not to be separated; a nyāsa-like body-part naming sequence; pūjā with fragrance/flowers; and homa with honey, ghee, and sesame.

  3. Climax resolution

    The regimen culminates in a Māgha śukla-tṛtīyā completion marked by dāna: golden icons (of the worshipped divine pair) and a structured gift of six vessels to a qualified brāhmaṇa, sealing the vow’s efficacy and social transmission through proper recipients.

  4. Closing phalashruti

    Promise of sustained prosperity/saubhāgya across multiple births, with the vow framed as reliably fruit-bearing when performed with truthfulness, purity, and correct timing; no separate, extended phalaśruti section is indicated beyond these assurances.

Geographical context

No explicit toponyms or river systems are mentioned in this adhyāya; the primary context is calendrical/seasonal (Phālguna, Āṣāḍha, Kārttika, Māgha) rather than geographic.

Ritual instructions

  • Primary RitualSaubhāgyakaraṇa-vrata (nakta observance beginning Phālguna śukla-tṛtīyā; concluding dāna on Māgha śukla-tṛtīyā)
  • BenefitSaubhāgya (auspicious fortune), prosperity and well-being for household life, and continuity of good fortune across births when performed with correct tithi, restraint, and truthful conduct.

The narrative frame

  • AgastyaA royal inquirer (mahārāja/narādhipa/rājendra) · Didactic, ritual-manual, and mildly polemical in hermeneutics (asserting Śiva–Viṣṇu non-separation as ‘śāstric’).

The emotional journey

  • Dominant RasaŚānta (with devotional undertone)
  • Emotional ProgressionFrom inquiry and ethical grounding → disciplined, time-bound observance → integrative devotion (non-sectarian unity) → climactic generosity (dāna) and assurance of lasting fortune.

Planning a pilgrimage

  • Visit FeasibilityNot tirtha-specific; best approached as a home/temple vrata aligned to lunar calendrics. If desired, it can be performed at any Viṣṇu or Śiva temple that supports homa and vrata observance.
  • Best SeasonPhālguna to Māgha cycle (start in Phālguna; completion in Māgha), with practical preference for clear-weather months depending on region.
  • Related FestivalPhālguna śukla-tṛtīyā and Māgha śukla-tṛtīyā observances; thematically adjacent to tṛtīyā-based Śrī/Gaurī observances (regional variants), though this chapter specifies its own vrata sequence.

Frequently Asked Questions

The text instructs disciplined observance (vrata) grounded in purity and truthfulness, and it advances a hermeneutic claim that worship of Hari with Śrī and Rudra with Umā/Gaurī should not be treated as mutually exclusive; it labels separationist readings as non-authoritative within its stated “śāstric” framework.

The observance begins on Phālguna śukla tṛtīyā with nakta practice. A later completion/ritual gift is specified on Māgha śukla tṛtīyā. Intermediate month markers include Āṣāḍha (for pāraṇa/breaking the regimen), and dietary notes extending through Kārttika and subsequent months.

Although Pṛthivī is not directly invoked in the verses provided, the chapter encodes a model of regulated consumption—grain choices and restrictions sequenced by months—alongside calendrical alignment. In an ecological-ethical reading, such restraint can be mapped as a Purāṇic strategy for stabilizing human behavior within seasonal cycles, indirectly supporting terrestrial balance.

The speaking authority is Agastya (agastya uvāca), addressing a royal recipient (mahārāja/narādhipa/rājendra). Deities referenced include Hari/Viṣṇu with Śrī (Lakṣmī) and Rudra/Śiva with Umā/Gaurī/Girijā, framed as an interpretive unity. A qualified brāhmaṇa recipient is described in terms of Vedic learning and conduct rather than a named lineage.

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