Varaha Purana 49.25: Adhyaya 49, Shloka 25
The Padmanābha Dvādaśī Observance, with the Eulogy of Lamp-Offering Merit
Pūrva Bhāga · Dāna–Pūjā Vidhi (Lamp-offering before Viṣṇu) / Vaiṣṇava Dharma
यः पुनः स्वेन वित्तेन विष्णोरग्रे प्रदीपकम् । ज्वालयेत् तस्य यत् पुण्यं तत् सङ्ख्यातुं न शक्यते । तेन साधो हरे साधु इत्युक्तं वचनं मया ॥ ४९.२५ ॥
yaḥ punaḥ svena vittena viṣṇor agre pradīpakam | jvālayet tasya yat puṇyaṃ tat saṅkhyātuṃ na śakyate | tena sādho hare sādhu ity uktaṃ vacanaṃ mayā || 49.25 ||
yaH punaH svena vittena viShNoragre pradIpakam | jvAlayet tasya yat puNyaM tat saMkhyAtuM na shakyate | tena sAdho hare sAdhu ityuktaM vachanaM mayA || 49.25 ||
Lagi pula, siapa pun yang dengan hartanya sendiri menyalakan pelita di hadapan Viṣṇu—kebajikan yang diperolehnya tak dapat dihitung. Karena itu, wahai orang saleh, aku mengucapkan: “Sungguh mulia, wahai Hari, sungguh mulia!”
Sandhi Notes
- इत्युक्तं = इति + उक्तम्
Varāha
Reassured; receiving a clear devotional prescription
What is the spiritual efficacy of lighting a lamp before Viṣṇu, and why is its merit said to be immeasurable?
Small, sincere offerings to the Supreme yield disproportionate spiritual fruit due to the object of worship (Viṣṇu) and purity of intent.
Regularly offer a lamp with one’s own means; accompany with praise/mantra; treat daily worship as accessible yajña.
The lamp before Viṣṇu signifies jñāna-jyotis dispelling avidyā; offering light mirrors offering one’s inner awareness to the Supreme Light.
Dīpa as a miniature yajña: flame as agni, ghee/oil as āhuti, the act as homa-like worship before Nārāyaṇa.
Viṣṇu as inner ‘jyoti’ (consciousness) receives the external light as a symbol; bhakti externalizes and stabilizes inner remembrance (smṛti) and surrender (śaraṇāgati).
With one’s own wealth, light/offer a lamp (dīpa) before Viṣṇu; its puṇya is declared immeasurable.
Observance yields incalculable merit and auspicious outcomes; neglect is an opportunity-loss (no explicit penalty stated here).
Puṇya that ‘cannot be enumerated’ (asaṅkhyeya-puṇya); devotional excellence and upliftment.
Varāha Purāṇa 49.49.24 (example of lamp-kindling); Varāha Purāṇa 49.49.26-27 (bhakti efficacy across yugas)
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic motif in which simple ritual acts (here, lighting a lamp before Viṣṇu) are presented as culturally valued practices, framing merit (puṇya) as immeasurable and reinforcing household-scale patronage of temple or shrine worship.
No specific geographic toponym is mentioned in this verse; the setting is defined ritually as ‘in the presence of Viṣṇu’ (viṣṇor agre), which can apply to a shrine, temple, or domestic altar.
The verse promotes voluntary offering using one’s own resources (svena vittena) and presents the act of lighting a lamp as a commendable practice associated with significant (here, ‘immeasurable’) merit.
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