Varaha Purana 39.45: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 45

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Devanagari script

चत्वारस्ते समुद्रास्तु कलशाः परिकीर्तिताः । तेषां मध्ये शुभं पीठं स्थापयेद्वस्त्रगर्भितम् ॥ ३९.४५ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 39.45

Transliteration

catvāras te samudrās tu kalaśāḥ parikīrtitāḥ | teṣāṃ madhye śubhaṃ pīṭhaṃ sthāpayet vastragarbhitam || 39.45 ||

Translation

Keempat-empat tempayan itu disebut sebagai empat “samudera”, yakni kalaśa (balang suci). Di tengah-tengahnya, hendaklah didirikan sebuah pīṭha (pelantar) yang mujur, dengan kain diletakkan di dalamnya (sebagai lapisan batin).

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Word by Word

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• ते: those
• ते: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• समुद्राः: oceans
• समुद्राः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject; predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध (particle: but/indeed)

• कलशाः: pots (kalaśas)
• कलशाः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• परिकीर्तिताः: are described / are called
• परिकीर्तिताः: विधेय (विधेय/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (प्रातिपदिक; PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त; past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘are described/called’

• तेषाम्: of those (pots)
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: विशेषण (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पीठम्: seat / pedestal
• पीठम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• स्थापयेत्: should place
• स्थापयेत्: विधेय क्रिया (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; causative sense ‘to place’ (स्थापय-)

• वस्त्रगर्भितम्: having cloth inside / wrapped with cloth
• वस्त्रगर्भितम्: विशेषण (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र-गर्भित (प्रातिपदिक; PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रेण गर्भितम्/आवृतम्)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; instructor voice)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ritual
• Vaishnavism
• Sanskrit Manuscript Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects Purāṇic-era ritual material culture, where cosmic terms (e.g., 'oceans') can function as symbolic designations for ritual objects, indicating how cosmology and practice were linked in textual traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific terrestrial location is named in this verse; the term 'samudra' is used symbolically for a fourfold arrangement rather than as a literal geographic ocean.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse primarily conveys procedural discipline—careful, orderly placement of ritual objects—rather than an explicit moral rule; it emphasizes attentiveness to auspicious arrangement and material preparation.