Varaha Purana 61.2: Adhyaya 61, Shloka 2

The Observance for the Fulfilment of Desires: Worship of Keśava in the Form of Guha

Kumāra

Pūrva Bhāga · Vrata-vidhi (Ascetic observances and calendrical discipline)

Devanagari script

षष्ठ्यां फलाशनो यस्तु वर्षमेकं व्रतं चरेत् । पौषमाससिते पक्षे चतुर्थ्यां कृतभोजनः ॥ ६१.२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 61.2

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhyāṃ phalāśano yas tu varṣam ekaṃ vrataṃ caret | pauṣamāsa-site pakṣe caturthyāṃ kṛtabhojanaḥ || 61.2 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

एक साल तक छठी को फल खाओ और व्रत रखो। पौष महीने के कृष्ण पक्ष में चौथी को खाना खाओ। यह पूरा नियम है।

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Word by Word

• षष्ठ्याम्: on the sixth (tithi)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (on the sixth lunar day)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)

• फलाशनः: one who eats fruits
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (फलम् आशनम् यस्य/फलम् आश्नाति) — 'fruit-eater'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आशन (प्रातिपदिक)

• यः: who
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/but)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• वर्षम्: for a year
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (duration)
• Role: Kālādhi karaṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• एकम्: one
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with वर्षम्
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)

• व्रतम्: vow
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)

• चरेत्: should observe/practise
• Type: Verb
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 3rd person singular optative
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: चर् (धातु)

• पौषमास: in the month of Pauṣa
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचनार्थे समासपूर्वपद; तत्पुरुष (पौषस्य मासः) used as first member in compound with सिते
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)

• सिते: bright (śukla)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with पक्षे (in the bright fortnight)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• चतुर्थ्याम्: on the fourth (tithi)
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (on the fourth tithi)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृतभोजनः: having taken food (one who has eaten)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (कृतं भोजनं येन/यस्य) — 'one who has eaten'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्यय) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• पौषमाससिते = पौषमासे + सिते (locative phrase expressed as compound-like sequence in text)
• overall sense: 'in Pauṣa month, in the bright fortnight'

Speaker and setting

Shanta rasaSetting: Calendrical-ritual framework

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Discipline of time and appetite

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticeCalendrics

Core idea

Mastery of desire begins with regulated consumption and time-bound observance; kāma is refined through niyama.

In practice

Adopt periodic dietary restraint (phalāhāra) on fixed tithis; keep a vrata calendar; treat exceptions (special month/fortnight rules) as integral, not optional.

Dharma

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaishnavism
• Dharma-śāstra Interface

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects Purāṇic-era integration of calendrical timekeeping (tithi, pakṣa, māsa) with ethical self-discipline through regulated diet and vow-practice, a common feature of medieval Sanskrit ritual literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the reference is temporal (the month of Pauṣa and lunar fortnights) rather than spatial.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse presents disciplined restraint and consistency in observance—regulated eating on specified lunar days—as a structured ethical practice rather than a purely devotional assertion.