Varaha Purana 55.5: Adhyaya 55, Shloka 5
Observance of the Auspicious Dvādaśī Vow and the Sacred Account of the Kubjākāmra Tīrtha
Pūrva Bhāga · Vrata-dāna (cāturmāsya observance and almsgiving)
चातुर्मास्यमथैवं तु क्षपित्वा राजसत्तम । चैत्रादिषु पुनस्तद्वदुपोष्य प्रयतः सुधीः । सक्तुपात्राणि विप्राणां सहिरण्यानि दापयेत् ॥ ५५.५ ॥
cāturmāsyam athaivaṁ tu kṣapitvā rājasattama | caitrādiṣu punas tadvad upoṣya prayataḥ sudhīḥ | saktupātrāṇi viprāṇāṁ sahiraṇyāni dāpayet || 55.5 ||
chAturmAsyamathaivaM tu kShapitvA rAjasattama | chaitrAdiShu punastadvadupoShya prayataH sudhIH | saktupAtrANi viprANAM sahiraNyAni dApayet || 55.5 ||
ข้าแต่พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ เมื่อสำเร็จการถือพรตจาตุรมาสยะดังนี้แล้ว ผู้มีวินัยและปัญญาพึงถืออุโบสถอีกครั้งในเดือนเริ่มด้วยไจตระตามแบบเดิม; และพึงถวายภาชนะใส่แป้งคั่ว (สักตุ) แก่พราหมณ์ พร้อมทั้งทองคำ
Sandhi Notes
- atha+evaṁ→athaivaṁ
- punar+tadvat→punas tadvad (visarga sandhi)
- tadvad+upoṣya→tadvad upoṣya
- sa+hiraṇyāni→sahiraṇyāni
Varāha
How is the observance extended across Cāturmāsya and repeated in later months, and what specific dāna (with gold) should accompany it?
Dharma is sustained by periodic recommitment; wisdom (sudhī) is shown in consistency—fasting paired with nourishing society via dāna.
Plan annual/seasonal observances; pair personal austerity with concrete support (food + resources) to qualified recipients.
Cāturmāsya frames time as a sacrificial cycle; repeating fasts and food-gifts enact a microcosmic maintenance of ṛta—Varāha’s cosmic stabilizing function mirrored in regulated seasonal dharma.
Cyclical-time yajña: months as ‘parvan’ segments; saktu (food) and hiraṇya (gold) as oblation-like supports of brahminical ritual ecology.
Niṣkāma-karma orientation: recurring discipline trains detachment and steadiness (sthiti), aligning personal rhythm with cosmic order.
After completing Cāturmāsya, again fast similarly in months beginning with Caitra; give saktu-pātra (bowls of parched flour) to brāhmaṇas along with gold.
Sustained vrata + dāna yields accumulated puṇya and steadiness of dharma; neglect reduces merit and breaks the intended cycle.
Cāturmāsya completion; repetition in Caitra and subsequent months (caitrādiṣu)
Enhanced merit through periodic renewal; prosperity/puṇya implied by ‘sahirāṇya’ (gold) gifting and disciplined fasting.
General Vaiṣṇava vrata framework.
55.55.2-55.55.4 (initial regimen, saṅkalpa, yava-dāna, ‘kṛṣṇāya’ dedication)
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic synthesis of vrata (periodic fasting/discipline) and dāna (material support to learned specialists), a common ethical-ritual pattern in medieval Sanskrit normative literature.
No specific sacred site or geographic location is named in this verse; it instead references calendrical months (beginning with Caitra) used across South Asian ritual timekeeping.
To pair personal discipline (fasting and restraint) with social responsibility through charitable giving—specifically, providing food (parched flour in vessels) and supplementary wealth (gold) to Brahmins.
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