Varaha Purana 39.46: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 46
Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance
Pūrva Bhāga · Dharma-śāstra (Ritual Materials and Implements)
तस्मिन् सौवर्णरौप्यं वा ताम्रं वा दारवं तथा । अलाभे सर्वपात्राणां पालाशं पात्रमिष्यते ॥ ३९.४६ ॥
tasmin sauvarṇaraupyaṃ vā tāmraṃ vā dāravaṃ tathā | alābhe sarvapātrāṇāṃ pālāśaṃ pātram iṣyate || 39.46 ||
tasmin sauvarNaraupyaM vA tAmraM vA dAravaM tathA | alAbhe sarvapAtrANAM pAlAshaM pAtramiShyate || 39.46 ||
ಆ ಕರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾತ್ರವು ಚಿನ್ನದದಾಗಲಿ, ಬೆಳ್ಳಿಯದಾಗಲಿ, ತಾಮ್ರದದಾಗಲಿ, ಅಥವಾ ಮರದದಾಗಲಿ ಇರಬಹುದು. ಎಲ್ಲ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು ದೊರಕದಿದ್ದರೆ ಪಲಾಶಮರದ ಪಾತ್ರವೂ ಅಂಗೀಕಾರ್ಯ।
Sandhi Notes
- सौवर्णरौप्यं → सौवर्ण-रौप्यम् (द्वन्द्व)
- सर्वपात्राणां → सर्व-पात्राणाम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
Varāha
Ritual validity rests on śraddhā, purity, and appropriateness; scarcity does not bar devotion.
When resources are limited, choose permissible substitutes (like palāśa) and maintain cleanliness and devotion rather than postponing worship.
The allowance of palāśa emphasizes yajña-priority over opulence: sacredness can be carried by simple, ritually fit materials, echoing the Vedic sacrificial ecology.
Palāśa (Butea monosperma) = classic yajña-wood; the ‘vessel’ becomes a portable altar-sign, indicating that the rite’s essence is śraddhā and śuddhi rather than wealth.
Non-attachment (vairāgya) within devotion: the Lord is approached through sincerity; material hierarchy is secondary to inner offering.
Use a vessel of gold/silver/copper/wood as available; if none are obtainable, a palāśa-wood vessel is permitted.
Dharma is upheld by intention and feasible purity: using allowable substitutes preserves merit; rejecting worship due to lack of luxury leads to missed puṇya and fosters tamas (discouragement).
Varāha Purāṇa 39.39.42-45 (the same pūjā/kalāśa procedure)
FAQs
It preserves a pragmatic hierarchy of ritual materials, reflecting how Purāṇic dharma literature accommodated varying economic and regional access to metalwork by permitting wood (specifically palāśa) when standard vessels were unavailable.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the focus is on material prescriptions for ritual vessels rather than a tīrtha or region.
The verse emphasizes practical adaptability in observance: when ideal implements cannot be obtained, an approved substitute (palāśa-wood vessel) may be used, prioritizing continuity of practice over rigid material requirements.
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