Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

स्वागतेनाभिवाद्यैनं समाभाष्य परस्परम् सुखोपविष्टश्छायायां पृष्ट्वा कुशलमाप्तवान्

Transliteration

svāgatenābhivādyainaṃ samābhāṣya parasparam sukhopaviṣṭaśchāyāyāṃ pṛṣṭvā kuśalamāptavān

Translation

เขาต้อนรับและถวายความเคารพแก่ผู้นั้น แล้วสนทนากันตามสมควร จากนั้นนั่งอย่างสบายในร่มเงา; ครั้นไต่ถามทุกข์สุขแล้วก็ได้ข่าวสาร/ความสนิทใจตามประสงค์

Speakers

• Narratorial voice describing the interaction between the preta and the merchant’s son (exact identities beyond these roles not provided in prompt).

Key Themes

• Atithi-satkara (hospitality) and courteous speech
• Dialogue as a vehicle for dharma instruction
• Establishing trust before revelation/teaching

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse emphasize greeting and asking 'kuśala' (welfare)?

Kuśala-praśna and respectful greeting are markers of dharmic social conduct. In Purāṇic storytelling, such etiquette often precedes the transmission of significant information—especially when the interlocutor is liminal (like a preta), making the human’s composure and courtesy a moral exemplar.

What does 'āptavān' imply here—what is being 'obtained'?

In narrative Sanskrit, 'āptavān' can indicate that the speaker achieved the purpose of the approach—securing a conversation, eliciting a response, or gaining the other party’s confidence—rather than a material acquisition.

Is the 'shade' (chāyā) merely descriptive or symbolically important?

Both. Descriptively, it sets a calm scene for dialogue. Symbolically, sitting in shade—especially under a ritually significant tree already introduced—suggests a protected, quasi-sacral space suitable for counsel, confession, or instruction.