Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

भुक्तवत्सु च सर्वेषु कामतो ऽम्भसि सेविते अनन्तरं सबुभुजे प्रेतपालो बराशनम्

Transliteration

bhuktavatsu ca sarveṣu kāmato 'mbhasi sevite anantaraṃ sabubhuje pretapālo barāśanam

Translation

ସମସ୍ତେ ଭୋଜନ କରି ସାରି, ଇଚ୍ଛାନୁସାରେ ଜଳ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେବନ କରିଲା ପରେ, ତତ୍କ୍ଷଣାତ୍ ପ୍ରେତପାଳ ଉତ୍�Vamana Purana,55,19,VamP 55.19,pulastya uvāca śrūyatāṃ kathayiṣyāmi kathāmetāṃ purātanīm kathayāmāsa yāṃ viṣṇurbhaviṣyamanave purā,पुलस्त्य उवाच श्रूयतां कथयिष्यामि कथामेतां पुरातनीम् कथयामास यां विष्णुर्भविष्यमनवे पुरा,Saromahatmiya,Itihasa-Purana Narrative Frame,Adhyaya 55 (Title uncertain; Pulastya introduces an ancient account told by Viṣṇu),55.19,pulastya uvāca śrūyatāṃ kathayiṣyāmi kathāmetāṃ purātanīm kathayāmāsa yāṃ viṣṇurbhaviṣyamanave purā,pulastya uvāca | śrūyatāṃ kathayiṣyāmi kathām etāṃ purātanīm | kathayāmāsa yāṃ viṣṇur bhaviṣya-manave purā,Pulastya said: “Listen; I shall recount this ancient story—the one that Viṣṇu formerly narrated to Bhaviṣya Manu.”,śrūyatām: let it be heard/listen; kathayiṣyāmi: I will narrate; kathā: story/account; etām: this; purātanīm: ancient; kathayāmāsa: narrated/told; viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu; bhaviṣya-manave: to Bhaviṣya Manu (a Manu figure); purā: formerly/long Vamana Purana,53,37,VamP 53.37,prakāmatṛpte preta ca vāridhānyodanaṃ tathā antardhānamagād brahman vaṇikputrasya paśyataḥ,प्रकामतृप्ते प्रेत च वारिधान्योदनं तथा अन्तर्धानमगाद् ब्रह्मन् वणिक्पुत्रस्य पश्यतः,Saromahatmya (Saro-mahātmya),Tirtha Mahima / Miraculous validation of offering,Adhyāya 53 (Saro-mahātmya; disappearance of the preta after being satisfied),53.37,prakāmatṛpte preta ca vāridhānyodanaṃ tathā antardhānamagād brahman vaṇikputrasya paśyataḥ,prakāma-tṛpte pretaś ca vāri-dhānya-odanaṃ tathā | antardhānam agād brahman vaṇik-putrasya paśyataḥ ||,And when the preta had been fully satisfied—with water and with rice-food as well—he vanished from sight

Speakers

• Narrator to the listening audience/sage (dialogue frame not explicit in excerpt)

Key Themes

• Ritual order and hierarchy among spirits
• Completion of feeding rites
• Satisfaction (kāma-tṛpti) as a marker of successful offering
• Preta-pāla as administrative figure in the preta-world

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘preta-pāla’ and why does he eat after the others?

The term suggests an overseeing entity—an enforcer or steward among pretas. The narrative order (others eat first, then the preta-pāla) reflects a ritual logic: the offering is first directed to the many dependents, and only after their satisfaction does the supervisory figure partake, signaling completion and acceptance of the rite.

What does ‘kāmato ’mbhasi sevite’ convey in ritual terms?

It indicates that water—used for drinking, rinsing, or ritual satisfaction—was provided adequately and to their contentment. In feeding/appeasement scenes, both food and water are required to mark the offering as fully hospitable and efficacious.

Does this imply a formal śrāddha?

The verses resemble śrāddha-like motifs (food and water given to the departed), but the excerpt itself does not specify śrāddha procedures (piṇḍa, mantra, lineage). It functions more broadly as a tīrtha-māhātmya exemplum: feeding the departed in a sacred context yields visible, immediate results.