Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 30

The Caturmasya Observances and the Rite of Vishnu’s Sleep (Aśūnya-Śayana) and Shiva’s Monthly Vows

Devanagari script

नभस्ये मासि च तथा या स्यात्कृष्णाष्टमी शुभा युक्ता मृगशिरेणैव सा तु कालाष्टमी स्मृता

Transliteration

nabhasye māsi ca tathā yā syātkṛṣṇāṣṭamī śubhā yuktā mṛgaśireṇaiva sā tu kālāṣṭamī smṛtā

Translation

ନଭସ୍ୟ ମାସରେ ମୃଗଶିରା ନକ୍ଷତ୍ର ସହ ଯୁକ୍ତ ଯେ ଶୁଭ କୃଷ୍ଣାଷ୍ଟମୀ ତିଥି, ସେହିଟି ‘କାଳାଷ୍ଟମୀ’ ବୋଲି ସ୍ମୃତ।

Word by Word

• नभस्ये: in (the month) Nabhasya
• नभस्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; मास-नाम (name of a month)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/also)

• या: which (she/that)
• या: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• स्यात्: would be, may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृष्णाष्टमी: the dark-fortnight eighth (tithi)
• कृष्णाष्टमी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: कृष्ण-पक्षस्य अष्टमी (8th lunar day of the dark fortnight)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कृष्णाष्टमी)

• युक्ता: joined with, accompanied by
• युक्ता: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (endowed/connected)

• मृगशिरेण: with (the nakshatra) Mṛgaśiras
• मृगशिरेण: Karana (करण/Instrument-accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; नक्षत्र-नाम; समास: मृगस्य शिरः (Mṛgaśiras)

• एव: indeed, exactly
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सा: that (tithi)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• कालाष्टमी: Kālāṣṭamī
• कालाष्टमी: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काला + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: काला अष्टमी (the 'Kālāṣṭamī')

• स्मृता: is called, is known as
• स्मृता: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (is called/remembered)

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (typical Vāmana Purāṇa dialogue frame; chapter context presumed)

Primary Deities

• Śiva

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Hindu calendrics (tithi-nakṣatra yoga)
• Śaivism
• Auspicious observance

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purāṇic dharma often emphasizes right action in right time; aligning personal discipline with cosmic rhythms (tithi/nakṣatra) is presented as a way to make devotion deliberate rather than casual.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is ritual-calendar prescription (vrata-kāla-nirṇaya), an instructional layer that accompanies Purāṇic theology; it is ancillary to the pañcalakṣaṇa narrative cores.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Kāla’ (time) + ‘aṣṭamī’ highlights time as sacred power; the specified astral conjunction symbolizes that devotion is not only belief but also participation in an ordered cosmos.