Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

एष क्रमस्ते गदितो नभादौ स्वपने मुने स्वपत्सु तत्र देवेषु प्रावृट्कालः समाययौ

Transliteration

eṣa kramaste gadito nabhādau svapane mune svapatsu tatra deveṣu prāvṛṭkālaḥ samāyayau

Translation

“Esta sequência foi-te explicada, ó sábio, acerca do sono no mês de Nabhas. Enquanto os deuses ali dormiam, chegou a estação de Prāvṛṭ, o início das chuvas.”

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• क्रमः: sequence/order
• क्रमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गदितः: told/declared
• गदितः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gad (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नभः-आदौ: at the beginning of Nabhas (month)
• नभः-आदौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nabhas + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—नभः + आदि (तत्पुरुष)

• स्वपने: in sleep/sleeping
• स्वपने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्वपत्सु: while (they are) sleeping
• स्वपत्सु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-time)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √svap (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• प्रावृट्कालः: the rainy season
• प्रावृट्कालः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāvṛṭ + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—प्रावृट् + काल (तत्पुरुष)

• समाययौ: arrived/came
• समाययौ: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √i (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्गः सम्- + आ-

Speakers

• Not explicit in the provided verse; likely within the Purāṇic dialogue frame (commonly Pulastya ↔ Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa).

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Sacred Time (tithi/month/season)
• Cosmic Sleep motif (devas sleeping)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames dharma as aligned with kāla (sacred time): observances are meaningful when performed in their proper seasonal and calendrical context, mirroring cosmic rhythms (even ‘the gods’ are described as following a sleep-cycle).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Primarily under ancillary dharma/ācāra material rather than the five core marks; closest alignment is with vṛtti/ācāra expansions often embedded alongside vaṃśānucarita and manvantara narratives in Purāṇas.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Devas sleeping’ and the arrival of Prāvṛṭ symbolically link cosmic rest with renewal: the monsoon begins fertility and replenishment while divine ‘sleep’ suggests a regulated cosmic order rather than randomness.