Varaha Purana 39.15: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 15
Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance
Pūrva Bhāga · Theological Identification and Vedānta-oriented Praise (Nārāyaṇa-tattva)
दुर्वासा उवाच । यदेतत् परमं ब्रह्म वेदव्यासेषु पठ्यते । स देवः पुण्डरीकाक्षः स्वयं नारायणः परः ॥ ३९.१५ ॥
durvāsā uvāca | yad etat paramaṃ brahma vedavyāseṣu paṭhyate | sa devaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ svayaṃ nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ || 39.15 ||
durvAsA uvAcha | yadetat paramaM brahma vedavyAseShu paThyate | sa devaH puNDarIkAkShaH svayaM nArAyaNaH paraH || 39.15 ||
दुर्वासा उवाच—यदेतत् परमं ब्रह्म वेदव्यासेषु पठ्यते, स देवः पुण्डरीकाक्षः स्वयं नारायणः परः॥
Sandhi Notes
- यदेतत् = यत् + एतत्
Durvāsā
वेद-व्यासनिबद्ध-शास्त्रेषु यत् परब्रह्मोच्यते, स एव नारायणः—व्यक्त-ईश्वर-नाम्ना उपास्यः।
परब्रह्म-विचारे भ्रमं त्यक्त्वा नारायण-नाम-रूप-आश्रय-भक्ति/उपासना; शास्त्र-प्रमाण-आधारित तत्त्वनिश्चयः।
परब्रह्मस्य ‘संज्ञा’ वेद-व्यासनिबद्ध-परम्परायां नारायण इति; निर्गुण-तत्त्वं सगुण-ईश्वर-रूपेण उपास्यं—पुण्डरीकाक्ष-लक्षणेन।
पुण्डरीकाक्ष-लक्षणं ‘सूर्य/कमल’ प्रतीकत्वेन; यज्ञ-पुरुष-नारायणः सर्वकर्मफल-प्रदाता इति अप्रत्यक्ष-याज्ञिक-सूचना।
वेदान्त-परिभाषा: ‘परब्रह्म’ = ‘नारायण’ (ईश्वर-तत्त्व); सगुण-ब्रह्मोपासनया निर्गुण-तत्त्वावबोधस्य मार्गः।
कृष्णावतारस्य परत्व-आधारः: परब्रह्म-नारायण एव पश्चात् कृष्णरूपेण अवतीर्ण इति वैष्णव-समन्वय-बीजम्।
Varaha Purana 39.39.16 (यज्ञ-दानेन नारायण-प्राप्तिः)
FAQs
It illustrates a Purāṇic strategy of linking the philosophical term “Brahman” with a personalized theological referent (Nārāyaṇa), reflecting how later Sanskrit traditions harmonized Vedānta vocabulary with sectarian devotional frameworks while preserving the prestige of Vedic/Vyāsa textual authority.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is primarily doctrinal, focusing on identifying the ‘supreme Brahman’ with Nārāyaṇa.
Rather than an explicit ethical injunction, the verse conveys a philosophical instruction: it frames ultimate reality (Brahman) as knowable through recognized textual transmission and identifies that ultimate principle with a specific theological figure (Nārāyaṇa), emphasizing coherence between metaphysical discourse and devotional nomenclature.
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