Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

कुष्ठरोगाभिभूतश्च यं समाराघ्य वै भृगुः आरोग्यमतुलं प्राप संतानमपि चाक्षयम्

Transliteration

kuṣṭharogābhibhūtaśca yaṃ samārāghya vai bhṛguḥ ārogyamatulaṃ prāpa saṃtānamapi cākṣayam

Translation

And Bhṛgu, afflicted by the disease of leprosy, having duly worshipped Him, obtained incomparable health—and also imperishable progeny.

Speakers

• Narrator-sage (contextually Pulastya) to Nārada
• continuing the list of exemplars.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Bhrigu

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Healing through devotion
• Karmic affliction and purification
• Lineage continuity (saṃtāna) as a boon

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is leprosy (kuṣṭha) highlighted in Purāṇic tirtha praises?

Kuṣṭha often functions as a paradigmatic ‘hard-to-cure’ affliction, sometimes linked with prior wrongdoing. Curing it through worship underscores the tirtha’s extraordinary purificatory power and the deity’s compassion.

What is meant by ‘akṣaya saṃtāna’ (imperishable progeny)?

It indicates not merely having children, but the stability and continuity of one’s lineage—offspring who survive, prosper, and maintain the family line—presented as a major worldly boon alongside health.

Does the verse imply ritual medicine or purely devotional cure?

The verse frames the result as a direct fruit of ‘samārādhana’ (proper worship). In Mahātmya rhetoric, devotion at the sacred site is the decisive cause, even if in lived practice it could accompany vows, bathing, fasting, and other observances.