Vamana Purana — Vishnu's Sleep (Ashunya-Shayana), Shloka 46

The Caturmasya Observances and the Rite of Vishnu’s Sleep (Aśūnya-Śayana) and Shiva’s Monthly Vows

Devanagari script

ततस्तु फाल्गुने मासिं कृष्णाष्टम्यां यतव्रत उपवासं समुदीतं कर्तव्यं द्विजसत्तम

Transliteration

tatastu phālgune māsiṃ kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāṃ yatavrata upavāsaṃ samudītaṃ kartavyaṃ dvijasattama

Translation

其后，于法尔古那月（Phālguna）黑半月第八日（Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī），噫，二生中之最胜者，持戒守愿之人当行所规定之斋戒（upavāsa）。

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् अर्थे (thereafter/from that)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• फाल्गुने: in (the month of) Phālguna
• फाल्गुने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phālguna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (मास-विशेषण); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कृष्ण-अष्टम्याम्: on the dark-fortnight eighth (tithi)
• कृष्ण-अष्टम्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + aṣṭamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (कृष्णपक्षस्य अष्टमी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यत-व्रत: one of restrained vow (O vow-observer)
• यत-व्रत: Karta (कर्ता) / Addressed person
• Type: Noun
• Root: yata (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (यतं व्रतं यस्य/यतव्रतः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि सम्भवः

• उपवासम्: fast
• उपवासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• समुदीतम्: prescribed/declared
• समुदीतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ud-i (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उक्तं/निर्दिष्टं’ (prescribed)

• कर्तव्यम्: must be done/should be performed
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्, gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• द्विज-सत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-सत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (द्विजेषु सत्तमः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative frame typically Pulastya to Nārada (speaker not explicit in provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Calendar (Māsa/Tithi)
• Upavāsa

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Time-discipline is spiritual discipline: aligning practice with sacred calendrics (māsa/tithi) trains steadiness (niyama) and makes devotion rhythmic rather than sporadic.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Like other vrata passages, it belongs to dharma-oriented purāṇic teaching; it is not a cosmogonic or genealogical unit but a prescriptive ritual calendar instruction.

What is the symbolic significance?

Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī (waning phase) often connotes inward turning and austerity; fasting here symbolizes voluntary ‘emptying’ to receive grace, preparing the devotee for the concluding rites described nearby.