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 dit : «Ô trésor d’ascèse, lorsque le Soleil est entré en Mithuna (Gémeaux), durant la quinzaine claire, au tithi d’Ekādaśī, on doit préparer le “sommeil” (śayana) du Maître du monde.»

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.