Shloka 59
Vrata–Dāna Compendium at Puṣkara: Puṣpavāhana’s Account and the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Purification Rite
दत्वा परं पदं याति सौम्यव्रतमिदं स्मृतम् । फाल्गुनादि तृतीयायां लवणं यस्तु वर्जयेत्
datvā paraṃ padaṃ yāti saumyavratamidaṃ smṛtam | phālgunādi tṛtīyāyāṃ lavaṇaṃ yastu varjayet
اس ورت کو ادا کرنے سے انسان پرم پد (اعلیٰ مقام) کو پاتا ہے؛ یہ ‘سومیہ ورت’ کے نام سے یاد کیا گیا ہے۔ پھالگن سے شروع ہونے والی تِتیہ تِتھی کو جو شخص نمک سے پرہیز کرے، وہ اس ورت کا پالن کرتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the chapter context)
Concept: A ‘gentle’ vow—salt-abstinence on a specified tithi—can culminate in the supreme state, teaching that small, sattvic restraints oriented to dharma have disproportionate spiritual power.
Application: Practice ‘saumya tapas’: choose a mild but consistent restraint (e.g., reduce salt, stimulants, or harsh speech) on a regular sacred day, and pair it with prayer and charity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a bright Phālguna tṛtīyā, a devotee sits before a simple lamp and water pot, eating plain, unsalted food set on a leaf plate—an image of gentle discipline. Behind the devotee, a translucent vision opens like a doorway of light, hinting at the ‘supreme state’ reached through quiet, consistent vows.","primary_figures":["devotee (vratī)","Vishnu as a distant luminous presence (optional, symbolic)"],"setting":"clean household shrine corner or āśrama cell; leaf-plate meal, small lamp, prayer beads","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale turmeric","conch white","soft gold","sky blue","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: devotee before a small shrine, offering a simple unsalted meal as restraint, with a radiant golden portal suggesting paramam padam; heavy gold leaf for the portal and lamp glow, rich maroon-green textiles, ornate borders, Vishnu’s symbols subtly embossed.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor shrine scene with delicate lines, the devotee’s calm face, plain food on a leaf plate, soft dawn light; a faint luminous doorway in the background indicating the supreme state, cool blues and gentle greens with warm gold accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized devotee seated with leaf-plate, lamp and water pot, bold outlines and natural pigments; a large circular aureole-like gateway behind, rendered in yellow-gold and conch-white, temple-wall symmetry and patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central devotional vignette with lotus borders, the devotee’s saumya vrata meal depicted simply, a Vaikuṇṭha-like luminous arch in the background; deep blue cloth ground with gold filigree, floral vines, and subtle Vishnu emblems."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft silence","single bell strike","gentle water pour","distant conch shell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सौम्यव्रतमिदम् = सौम्यव्रतम् + इदम् (म् + इ → मि); फाल्गुनादि (समास/समुच्चयार्थ) ‘Phālguna-ādi’; यस्तु = यः + तु (विसर्ग-लोप)।
FAQs
It prescribes observing the Saumya-vrata by avoiding salt on the third lunar day (tṛtīyā), beginning with the month of Phālguna.
The verse states that one attains the “supreme state/abode” (paraṃ padam), indicating a spiritually elevated goal rather than merely worldly benefit.
It emphasizes self-restraint in diet as a form of disciplined devotion and dharmic observance, linking small acts of control (like giving up salt) to higher spiritual attainment.