Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 22

The Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata: Worship of Vishnu’s Body as the Constellations

Devanagari script

स्वागतेनाभिवाद्यैनं समाभाष्य परस्परम् सुखोपविष्टश्छायायां पृष्ट्वा कुशलमाप्तवान्

Transliteration

svāgatenābhivādyainaṃ samābhāṣya parasparam sukhopaviṣṭaśchāyāyāṃ pṛṣṭvā kuśalamāptavān

Translation

Having welcomed and respectfully greeted him, and conversing with one another, he sat comfortably in the shade; after inquiring about his welfare, he obtained (the desired information/rapport).

Speakers

• Narratorial voice describing the interaction between the preta and the merchant’s son (exact identities beyond these roles not provided in prompt).

Key Themes

• Atithi-satkara (hospitality) and courteous speech
• Dialogue as a vehicle for dharma instruction
• Establishing trust before revelation/teaching

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does the verse emphasize greeting and asking 'kuśala' (welfare)?

Kuśala-praśna and respectful greeting are markers of dharmic social conduct. In Purāṇic storytelling, such etiquette often precedes the transmission of significant information—especially when the interlocutor is liminal (like a preta), making the human’s composure and courtesy a moral exemplar.

What does 'āptavān' imply here—what is being 'obtained'?

In narrative Sanskrit, 'āptavān' can indicate that the speaker achieved the purpose of the approach—securing a conversation, eliciting a response, or gaining the other party’s confidence—rather than a material acquisition.

Is the 'shade' (chāyā) merely descriptive or symbolically important?

Both. Descriptively, it sets a calm scene for dialogue. Symbolically, sitting in shade—especially under a ritually significant tree already introduced—suggests a protected, quasi-sacral space suitable for counsel, confession, or instruction.