Varaha Purana 39.47: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 47

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

Pūrva Bhāga · Ritual Procedure (Dāna/Arghya-related Instructions)

Devanagari script

तोयपूर्णं तु तत्कृत्वा तस्मिन् पात्रे ततो न्यसेत् । सौवर्णं मत्स्यरूपेण कृत्वा देवं जनार्दनम् । वेदवेदाङ्गसंयुक्तं श्रुतिस्मृतिविभूषितम् ॥ ३९.४७ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 39.47

Transliteration

toyapūrṇaṃ tu tatkṛtvā tasmin pātre tato nyaset | sauvarṇaṃ matsyarūpeṇa kṛtvā devaṃ janārdanam | vedavedāṅgasaṃyuktaṃ śrutismṛtivibhūṣitam || 39.47 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Napełniwszy to naczynie wodą, należy następnie umieścić w nim złoty wizerunek ukształtowany w postaci ryby - Janārdanę (Viṣṇu) jako bóstwo - obdarzone Wedami i Wedāṅgami, i przyozdobione autorytetem Śruti i Smṛti.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• तोय-पूर्णम्: filled with water
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव: ‘water-filled’ (used predicatively with तत्)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object complement)
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• तत्: that (vessel)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्वा: having made (it)
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having done/made
• Role: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Gerundial)
• Root: कृ (धातु)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पात्रे: in the vessel
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• ततः: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमार्थक (then/from there)
• Role: क्रम/काल (Adverbial)
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• न्यसेत्: should place
• Type: Verb
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should place’
• Role: क्रिया (Verb)
• Root: नि-√अस्/न्यस् (धातु; causative/denominative sense ‘to place’)

• सौवर्णम्: golden (image)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (golden)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

• मत्स्य-रूपेण: in fish-form
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तृतीया-करण (instrumental of form): ‘in the form of a fish’
• Role: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्वा: having fashioned
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): having made
• Role: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Gerundial)
• Root: कृ (धातु)

• देवम्: the god
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बोधननाम (epithet)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object apposition)
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)

• वेद-वेदाङ्ग-संयुक्तम्: endowed with the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘endowed with Vedas and Vedāṅgas’
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier of देवम्/जनार्दनम्)
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + वेदाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √युज्)

• श्रुति-स्मृति-विभूषितम्: adorned with Śruti and Smṛti
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘adorned with śruti and smṛti’
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier of देवम्/जनार्दनम्)
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √भूष्)

Sandhi Notes

• tatkṛtvā → तत् + कृत्वा
• toyapūrṇaṃ → तोय-पूर्णम्
• matsyarūpeṇa → मत्स्य-रूपेण
• vedavedāṅgasaṃyuktaṃ → वेद-वेदाङ्ग-संयुक्तम्
• śrutismṛtivibhūṣitam → श्रुति-स्मृति-विभूषितम्

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Śāstra-prāmāṇya and smṛti-ācāra

Subjects

Ritual PracticeIconographyTextual Authority (Śruti–Smṛti)

Core idea

Ritual acts gain legitimacy and fruit when aligned with Śruti–Smṛti and Vedic auxiliaries (Vedāṅgas).

In practice

When performing pūjā/pratiṣṭhā, ground procedure in recognized textual authority and maintain iconographic propriety.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

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

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a Purāṇic-style ritual sequence involving water-filled vessels and metal icons, reflecting how Vaiṣṇava iconography (Matsya/Janārdana) was integrated into domestic or temple procedures alongside appeals to Śruti and Smṛti authority.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific place-name occurs in this verse; it is a procedural instruction applicable across contexts rather than a site-specific description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes disciplined, text-grounded practice: ritual action is framed as aligned with recognized knowledge systems (Veda, Vedāṅga) and traditional norms (Śruti–Smṛti), encouraging careful, accountable performance rather than arbitrary innovation.