Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 46
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 4616 Shlokas

Adhyaya 46: The Rite of the Āṣāḍha Bright-Fortnight Dvādaśī Fast and the Installation (Nyāsa) of the Fourfold Manifestation

Āṣāḍha-śukla-dvādaśī-vrata-vidhiḥ caturvyūha-nyāsaś ca

Ritual-Manual with Etiological Narrative (vrata-māhātmya)

Dalam bingkai pengajaran Varāha kepada Pṛthivī, bab ini menghuraikan tatacara vrata Dvādaśī pada paruh terang bulan Āṣāḍha yang dinisbahkan kepada Durvāsas. Pengamal bersembahyang dengan wangian dan bunga, melakukan nyāsa dengan menetapkan gelaran ilahi pada anggota tubuh—pāda, kaṭi, jaṭhara, uraḥ, bhuja, kaṇṭha, śiraḥ—kemudian memasang (pratiṣṭhā) arca emas Vāsudeva bersama caturvyūha yang kekal. Urutan ritual termasuk meletakkan ghaṭa (tempayan air) berbalut kain di hadapan ruang pemujaan dan menghadiahkan arca yang telah dipuja kepada brāhmaṇa pembaca Veda. Bagi menegaskan keberkesanan, diceritakan keluhan Bumi tentang beban penindasan (pemerintah berkuasa dan kekuatan bermusuhan), rayuan para dewa kepada Nārāyaṇa, serta tekad Tuhan untuk berinkarnasi melalui seorang wanita yang berupavāsa Āṣāḍha-śukla bersama suaminya; Vasudeva dan Devakī memperoleh kemakmuran serta zuriat dengan mengamalkan Dvādaśī.

Speakers

VarāhaPṛthivīDurvāsasNāradaPṛthivī (as petitioner)Nārāyaṇa

Key Concepts

Āṣāḍha-śukla-dvādaśī-vrata (seasonal fast-observance)Caturvyūha (Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha)Aṅga-nyāsa through divine nāmāni (mapping epithets to body parts)Dāna to vedavādin brāhmaṇa (ritual gifting and textual authority)Pṛthivī-bhāra (Earth’s burden as ecological-political imbalance)Incarnation logic as response to terrestrial distress
Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana Adhyaya 46

Shlokas in Adhyaya 46

Verse 1

दुर्वासा उवाच । आषाढेऽप्येवमेवं तु संकल्प्य विधिना नरः । अर्चयेत् परमं देवं गन्धपुष्पैरनेकशः ॥ ४६.१ ॥

Durvāsā berkata: “Dalam bulan Āṣāḍha juga, setelah menetapkan niat upacara menurut tata cara yang ditetapkan, seseorang hendaklah memuja Dewa Yang Maha Tinggi berulang kali dengan wewangian dan bunga.”

Verse 2

वासुदेवाय पादौ तु कटिं संकर्षणाय च । प्रद्युम्नायेति जठरं अनिरुद्धाय वै उरः ॥ ४६.२ ॥

“(Peruntukkan/persembahkan) kedua-dua kaki kepada Vāsudeva; pinggang kepada Saṃkarṣaṇa; perut sambil menyebut ‘kepada Pradyumna’; dan sesungguhnya dada kepada Aniruddha.”

Verse 3

चक्रपाणयेति भुजौ कण्ठं भूपतये तथा । स्वनाम्ना शङ्खचक्रौ तु पुरुषायेति वै शिरः ॥ ४६.३ ॥

“(Hendaklah ditetapkan) kedua-dua lengan sebagai ‘kepada Cakrapāṇi’; demikian juga tekak sebagai ‘kepada Bhūpati’. Sangkha dan cakra hendaklah disebut dengan nama masing-masing; dan sesungguhnya kepala sebagai ‘kepada Puruṣa’.”

Verse 4

एवमभ्यर्च्य मेधावी प्राग्वत्तस्याग्रतो घटम् । विन्यस्य वस्त्रसंयुक्तं तस्योपरि ततो न्यसेत् । काञ्चनं वासुदेवं तु चतुर्व्यूहं सनातनम् ॥ ४६.४ ॥

Setelah demikian melakukan pemujaan, pengamal yang bijaksana hendaklah, seperti yang telah ditetapkan sebelumnya, meletakkan sebuah kendi air di hadapannya; setelah diletakkan bersama sehelai kain, hendaklah kemudian diletakkan di atasnya arca Vāsudeva daripada emas—lambang caturvyūha, manifestasi empat serangkai yang kekal abadi.

Verse 5

तमभ्यर्च्य विधानॆन गन्धपुष्पादिभिः क्रमात् । प्राग्वत् तं ब्राह्मणे दद्यात् वेदवादिनि सुव्रते । एवं नियमयुक्तस्य यत्पुण्यं तच्छृणुष्व मे ॥ ४६.५ ॥

Setelah memuja-Nya menurut tata cara yang ditetapkan, selangkah demi selangkah dengan wangi-wangian, bunga dan sebagainya; seperti yang telah disebutkan dahulu, hendaklah pemberian itu diserahkan kepada seorang brāhmaṇa, pengucap Veda, yang berikrar baik. Kini dengarlah daripadaku akan pahala kebajikan bagi orang yang berdisiplin dengan niyama demikian.

Verse 6

वसुदेवोऽभवद् राजा यदुवंशविवर्धनः । देवकी तस्य भार्या तु समानव्रतधारिणी ॥ ४६.६ ॥

Vasudeva menjadi seorang raja, yang memperkembangkan keturunan Yadu. Devakī ialah isterinya, seorang wanita yang memegang disiplin dan ikrar yang sepadan (bersama).

Verse 7

सा त्वपुत्राऽभवत् साध्वी पतिधर्मपरायणा । तस्य कालेन महता नारदोऽभ्यगमद् गृहम् ॥ ४६.७ ॥

Namun dia tetap tidak berputera—seorang wanita suci lagi berpegang teguh pada dharma terhadap suami. Setelah berlalu masa yang amat panjang, Nārada datang ke rumah tangga mereka.

Verse 8

वासुदेवेनासौ भक्त्या पूजितो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । वासुदेव शृणुष्व त्वं देवकार्यं ममानघ । श्रुत्वैतां च कथां शीघ्रमागतोऽस्मि तवान्तिकम् ॥ ४६.८ ॥

Setelah dipuja dengan bhakti oleh Vāsudeva, beliau berkata: “Wahai Vāsudeva, engkau yang tanpa cela, dengarlah tugas ilahi yang kupikul. Setelah mendengar kisah ini, aku segera datang ke hadapanmu.”

Verse 9

पृथिवी देवसमितौ मया दृष्टा यदूत्तम । गत्वा च जल्पती भारं न शक्ताऽऽहितुं सुराः ॥ ४६.९ ॥

Wahai yang terbaik dalam keturunan Yadu, aku melihat Ibu Bumi dalam perhimpunan para dewa; setelah datang, baginda mengadukan kesengsaraan: para dewa tidak mampu memikul beban itu.

Verse 10

सौभकंसजरासन्धाः पुनर्नरक एव च । कुरुपाञ्चालभोजाश्च बलिनो दानवाः सुराः । पीडयन्ति समेतां मां तान् हनध्वं सुरोत्तमाः ॥ ४६.१० ॥

Saubha, Kaṃsa, Jarāsandha, dan juga Naraka; bersama kaum Kuru, Pāñcāla, dan Bhoja—para Dānava yang perkasa serta makhluk yang menyerupai sura namun memusuhi—telah berhimpun dan menindas aku. Wahai yang termulia di antara para dewa, bunuhlah mereka.

Verse 11

एवमुक्ताः पृथिव्या ते देवा नारायणं गताः । मनसा स च देवेशः प्रत्यक्षस्तत्क्षणात् बभौ ॥ ४६.११ ॥

Setelah demikian dituturkan oleh Pṛthivī, para dewa itu mendatangi Nārāyaṇa; dan Tuhan para dewa itu, dipanggil dalam batin, serta-merta menampakkan diri pada saat itu juga.

Verse 12

उवाच च सुरश्रेष्ठः स्वयं कार्यमिदं सुराः । साधयामि न सन्देहो मर्त्यं गत्वा मनुष्यवत् ॥ ४६.१२ ॥

Lalu yang terunggul di antara para dewa berkata: “Wahai para dewa, tugas ini akan aku laksanakan sendiri. Tiada keraguan—aku akan pergi ke alam fana dan bertindak seperti manusia.”

Verse 13

किंत्वाषाढे शुक्लपक्षे या नारी सह भर्तृणा । उपोष्यति मनुष्येषु तस्या गर्भे भवाम्यहम् ॥ ४६.१३ ॥

Namun, di kalangan manusia, mana-mana wanita yang bersama suaminya berpuasa (upavāsa) pada paruh terang bulan Āṣāḍha, dalam rahimnya itulah aku akan menjelma (berinkarnasi).

Verse 14

एवमुक्त्वा गतो देवः स्वयं चाहमिहागतः । उपदिष्टं तु भवतोऽपुत्रस्य विशेषतः । उपोष्य लभते पुत्रं सहभार्यो न संशयः ॥ ४६.१४ ॥

Setelah berkata demikian, dewa itu pun berangkat; dan aku sendiri telah datang ke sini. Ajaran ini disampaikan khusus untukmu yang tidak mempunyai anak lelaki: dengan berpuasa, seseorang memperoleh seorang putera—bersama isterinya—tiada keraguan sama sekali.

Verse 15

एतां च द्वादशीं कृत्वा वासुदेवस्तथाप्तवान् । महतिं च श्रियं प्राप्तः पुत्रपौत्रसमन्वितः ॥ ४६.१५ ॥

Dan setelah menunaikan Dvādaśī ini, Vāsudeva juga mencapai hasilnya: baginda memperoleh kemakmuran yang besar serta dikurniai anak-anak lelaki dan cucu-cicit.

Verse 16

भुक्त्वा राज्यश्रियं सोऽथ गतः परमिकां गतिम् । एष ते विधिरुद्दिष्ट आषाढे मासि वै मुने ॥ ४६.१६ ॥

Setelah menikmati kemuliaan dan kemewahan kerajaan, baginda kemudian mencapai keadaan yang tertinggi. Tatacara ini telah ditetapkan untukmu, wahai muni, pada bulan Āṣāḍha.

Inside Adhyaya 46

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Varāha instructs Pṛthivī in a niyama-yukta seasonal vrata taught by Durvāsas: the Āṣāḍha bright-fortnight Dvādaśī observance, framed as a remedy for disorder when Earth is overburdened (pṛthivī-bhāra).

  2. Central event

    A stepwise ritual manual is given: fasting and pūjā with gandha-puṣpa, aṅga-nyāsa by assigning divine epithets to body-parts (pāda, kaṭi, jaṭhara, uraḥ, bhuja, kaṇṭha, śiraḥ), installation of a golden Vāsudeva together with the eternal caturvyūha, and placement of a clothed water-pot (ghaṭa) before the worship space, culminating in gifting the worshipped image to a Veda-reciting brāhmaṇa.

  3. Climax resolution

    The vrata’s efficacy is etiologically grounded: Pṛthivī complains of oppressive burdens; the gods appeal to Nārāyaṇa; Nārāyaṇa resolves to incarnate through a woman who observes the Āṣāḍha-śukla upavāsa with her husband—illustrated by Vasudeva and Devakī attaining prosperity and descendants through Dvādaśī observance.

  4. Closing phalashruti

    Implied phala: prosperity, progeny, and restoration of dharmic balance; the rite is presented as both personally fruitful (śrī-santāna) and cosmically corrective (relief of pṛthivī-bhāra) when performed with correct vidhi and dāna.

Geographical context

No explicit toponyms are stated in this adhyāya. The narrative setting is cosmological and political: Pṛthivī (Earth) approaches a deva-samiti (assembly of gods). Dynastic reference: Yaduvaṃśa (Yadu lineage) through Vasudeva and Devakī.

Ritual instructions

  • Primary RitualĀṣāḍha-śukla Dvādaśī vrata with aṅga-nyāsa and installation (nyāsa/pratiṣṭhā) of Vāsudeva with the caturvyūha, followed by dāna to a vedavādin brāhmaṇa.
  • BenefitSecures prosperity and descendants (as in Vasudeva–Devakī), strengthens embodied devotion through nyāsa, and participates in restoring cosmic-terrestrial equilibrium by addressing pṛthivī-bhāra through disciplined observance and dāna.

The narrative frame

  • Varāha (with the vrata attributed to Durvāsas as authoritative source within the discourse)Pṛthivī · Didactic and prescriptive (vrata-vidhi), reinforced by etiological-cosmological justification (māhātmya).

The emotional journey

  • Dominant RasaŚānta (devotional-ritual composure) with undertones of Karuṇa (Earth’s distress) resolving into Ādbhuta (divine intervention).
  • Emotional ProgressionTerrestrial strain and complaint (burden) → divine consultation and assurance → disciplined ritual clarity (nyāsa/vrata) → hopeful fruition (prosperity, progeny, restored order).

Planning a pilgrimage

  • Visit FeasibilityNot tirtha-specific; best approached as a home/temple vrata. If desired, it can be observed at any Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa temple with provision for Dvādaśī worship and brāhmaṇa-dāna.
  • Best SeasonĀṣāḍha (June–July), especially śukla-pakṣa Dvādaśī.
  • Related FestivalĀṣāḍha-śukla Dvādaśī (often aligned with regional Viṣṇu-Dvādaśī observances; local temple calendars may pair it with Viṣṇu/Ananta-related Dvādaśīs).

Frequently Asked Questions

The text presents disciplined ritual observance (niyama-yukta vrata) as a means of restoring order when Earth is overburdened by oppressive power. It links personal restraint (upavāsa), correct procedure (vidhi), and socially embedded redistribution (dāna to a vedavādin brāhmaṇa) to broader terrestrial stability, using Pṛthivī’s complaint as an ethical prompt to address imbalance.

The observance is specified for Āṣāḍha (Āṣāḍhe), particularly the śukla-pakṣa (bright fortnight). The narrative emphasizes fasting/observance by a woman together with her husband during this period, and the chapter highlights Dvādaśī as the key tithi through the statement that performing “etāṃ ca dvādaśīm” yields results.

It frames imbalance as Pṛthivī-bhāra—Earth’s inability to bear accumulated burdens caused by powerful destructive forces and rulers. The gods’ consultation and Nārāyaṇa’s decision to intervene translate terrestrial distress into a moral-ecological problem: when governance and power become excessive, corrective action (here, ritual discipline and divine intervention) is narrated as restoring equilibrium.

The chapter references the Yadu lineage (Yaduvaṃśa) through King Vasudeva and his wife Devakī, presented as exemplars of the vrata’s efficacy. It also names Nārada as the messenger who conveys the Earth-burden narrative, Durvāsas as the ritual instructor, and Nārāyaṇa as the divine agent responding to the crisis.

Ask anything about Adhyaya 46 of the Varaha Purana

Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.

Not sure where to start?

A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.

Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app

Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.

Continue reading in the Vedapath app

Open in App