Varaha Purana 39.28: Adhyaya 39, Shloka 28

Discrimination of the Three Bodies and the Dharaṇī Vow: A Manual for Dvādaśī Observance

Pūrva Bhāga · Ritual and Devotional Practice (Dvāra-sparśa and Viṣṇu-dhyāna)

Devanagari script

स्पृष्ट्वा द्वाराणि सर्वाणि चिरं ध्यात्वा जनार्दनम् । शङ्खचक्रगदापाणिं किरीटिं पीतवाससम् ॥ ३९.२८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 39.28

Transliteration

spṛṣṭvā dvārāṇi sarvāṇi ciraṃ dhyātvā janārdanam | śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇiṃ kirīṭiṃ pītavāsasam || 39.28 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

تمام دروازوں کو چھو کر، دیر تک جناردن کا دھیان کرے—جو شंख، چکر اور گدا اپنے ہاتھوں میں لیے، تاج پوش اور زرد لباس پہنے ہوئے ہیں۔

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Word by Word

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having touched’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Root: √spṛś (धातु)

• dvārāṇi: doors
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)

• sarvāṇi: all
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)

• ciram: for long
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘for a long time’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having meditated’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)

• janārdanam: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)

• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-pāṇim: whose hand bears conch, discus, and mace
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘śaṅkha-cakra-gadāḥ yasya pāṇau santi saḥ’ (having conch, discus, mace in (his) hand)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: śaṅkha + cakra + gadā + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)

• kirīṭinam: crowned
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: kirīṭin (प्रातिपदिक)

• pīta-vāsasam: wearing yellow garments
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य वासः पीतः सः (one whose garment is yellow)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Root: pīta + vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇiṃ = śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-pāṇim (compound)

Speaker and setting

Bhakti and Shanta rasaSetting: Liminal sacred boundary (dvāra)

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Upāsanā (iconic meditation)

Subjects

Ritual PracticeMeditation (Dhyāna)IconographyCultural Heritage

Core idea

Form-meditation (saguṇa-dhyāna) stabilizes attention and aligns action with devotion.

In practice

Use a clear mental image of Viṣṇu’s attributes (śaṅkha-cakra-gadā, kirīṭa, pītāmbara) as an anchor before beginning daily duties or entering sacred spaces.

Dharma

Mathura and Krishna

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Sanskrit Philology
• Iconography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a standardized devotional-ritual sequence (touching thresholds/doors followed by dhyāna) and preserves early medieval Vaiṣṇava iconographic conventions—conch, discus, and mace—used for identifying Viṣṇu/Janārdana in textual and visual culture.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it focuses on a ritual action and a visualized form of Janārdana rather than a place-description.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse foregrounds disciplined attentiveness: careful bodily conduct (ritual touching of thresholds) paired with sustained contemplation, presenting self-regulation and focused awareness as the guiding philosophical instruction.