Varaha Purana 39.39 — Adhyaya 39, Shloka 39
Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance
तत्राराध्य महायोगिं देवं नारायणं प्रभुम् । केशवाय नमः पादौ कटिं दामोदराय च ॥ ३९.३९ ॥
tatrārādhya mahāyogiṃ devaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ prabhum | keśavāya namaḥ pādau kaṭiṃ dāmodarāya ca || 39.39 ||
ସେଠାରେ ମହାଯୋଗୀ ଦେବ ପ୍ରଭୁ ନାରାୟଣଙ୍କୁ ଆରାଧନା କରି (ଅଙ୍ଗନ୍ୟାସରେ) କହିବ—‘କେଶବାୟ ନମଃ’ (ପାଦଦ୍ୱୟରେ), ଏବଂ ‘ଦାମୋଦରାୟ ନମଃ’ (କଟିରେ) ମଧ୍ୟ।
Varāha (default attribution; speaker not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"Keśava and Dāmodara are later prominent Kṛṣṇa-epithets in Vraja/Mathurā devotion; here they function as Nārāyaṇa’s names within temple-ritual."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"In the temple, worship Nārāyaṇa with limb-associated salutations: ‘Keśavāya namaḥ’ at the feet and ‘Dāmodarāya’ at the waist.","karmic_consequence":"Correct mantra-nyāsa/arcana fosters focused devotion and completeness of worship; incorrect or careless recitation weakens concentration and ritual efficacy."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theology of nāma-rūpa in worship","core_concept":"The one Lord is approached through many names, each revealing a facet of divinity and anchoring attention in the icon.","practical_application":"During pūjā or mental worship, place (nyasya) specific names at specific limbs to stabilize meditation and reverence."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Vaishnava Theology","Sacred Speech (Mantric Salutation)"]
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: temple sanctum (implied)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 39.39.40-41 (continuation of limb-wise epithets)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a shrine, a devotee stands before a Nārāyaṇa icon, offering añjali while mentally/ritually assigning ‘Keśava’ to the feet and ‘Dāmodara’ to the waist.","item_prompts":["Nārāyaṇa icon with crown and ornaments","focus on feet and waist region","lamp (dīpa) glow","flower offerings","devotee with folded hands","priestly gesture indicating limbs"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: frontal Nārāyaṇa with stylized ornaments, devotee at lower corner, clear highlighting of feet and waist with subtle haloed emphasis.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: richly jeweled Viṣṇu with heavy gold leaf on ornaments, feet and waist highlighted, bright lamp flames, ornate arch (prabhāmaṇḍala).","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant, restrained gold, detailed facial expression of calm yogin Nārāyaṇa, soft temple interior lighting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: delicate shrine interior, slender figures, emphasis on devotional gaze and gentle color gradients around the deity’s limbs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional, mantra-focused","suggested_raga":"Bhairavī","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"soft, precise, resonant"}
FAQs
It documents a Purāṇic-era devotional-ritual idiom where Viṣṇu’s epithets are invoked in relation to bodily loci (e.g., feet, waist), reflecting the wider South Asian tradition of aṅga-oriented remembrance and recitation used in worship and liturgical settings.
No specific place-name is provided in this verse; the adverb "tatra" (“there”) is context-dependent and refers back to a location mentioned in the surrounding passage.
The verse foregrounds disciplined reverence and mindful speech—an instruction toward focused veneration (ārādhana) expressed through precise, respectful address to the divine using established epithets.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in 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 audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.