Varaha Purana 39.28: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 28

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Pūrva Bhāga · Ritual and Devotional Practice (Dvāra-sparśa and Viṣṇu-dhyāna)

Devanagari script

स्पृष्ट्वा द्वाराणि सर्वाणि चिरं ध्यात्वा जनार्दनम् । शङ्खचक्रगदापाणिं किरीटिं पीतवाससम् ॥ ३९.२८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 39.28

Transliteration

spṛṣṭvā dvārāṇi sarvāṇi ciraṃ dhyātvā janārdanam | śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇiṃ kirīṭiṃ pītavāsasam || 39.28 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

घर के सारे दरवाज़े छो लो। फिर विष्णु का ध्यान करो, लंबे समय तक। शंख और चक्र और गदा उनके हाथ में है। सर पे क्राउन है और पीले कपडे पहने हैं।

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Word by Word

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having touched’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Root: √spṛś (धातु)

• dvārāṇi: doors
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)

• sarvāṇi: all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)

• ciram: for long
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘for a long time’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having meditated’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)

• janārdanam: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)

• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-pāṇim: whose hand bears conch, discus, and mace
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘śaṅkha-cakra-gadāḥ yasya pāṇau santi saḥ’ (having conch, discus, mace in (his) hand)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: śaṅkha + cakra + gadā + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)

• kirīṭinam: crowned
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: kirīṭin (प्रातिपदिक)

• pīta-vāsasam: wearing yellow garments
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य वासः पीतः सः (one whose garment is yellow)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: pīta + vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇiṃ = śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-pāṇim (compound)

Speaker and setting

Bhakti and Shanta rasaSetting: Liminal sacred boundary (dvāra)

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Upāsanā (iconic meditation)

Subjects

Ritual PracticeMeditation (Dhyāna)IconographyCultural Heritage

Core idea

Form-meditation (saguṇa-dhyāna) stabilizes attention and aligns action with devotion.

In practice

Use a clear mental image of Viṣṇu’s attributes (śaṅkha-cakra-gadā, kirīṭa, pītāmbara) as an anchor before beginning daily duties or entering sacred spaces.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology
• Iconography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a standardized devotional-ritual sequence (touching thresholds/doors followed by dhyāna) and preserves early medieval Vaiṣṇava iconographic conventions—conch, discus, and mace—used for identifying Viṣṇu/Janārdana in textual and visual culture.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it focuses on a ritual action and a visualized form of Janārdana rather than a place-description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds disciplined attentiveness: careful bodily conduct (ritual touching of thresholds) paired with sustained contemplation, presenting self-regulation and focused awareness as the guiding philosophical instruction.