Vamana Purana — Nakshatra-Purusha Vrata, Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

भुक्तवत्सु च सर्वेषु कामतो ऽम्भसि सेविते अनन्तरं सबुभुजे प्रेतपालो बराशनम्

Transliteration

bhuktavatsu ca sarveṣu kāmato 'mbhasi sevite anantaraṃ sabubhuje pretapālo barāśanam

Translation

{"has_teaching": true, "teaching_type": "dharma", "core_concept": "Preta-tṛpti through timely offering (anna and udaka) and the unseen operation of karma at a tirtha.", "teaching_summary": "When offerings of water and food are given with proper intent, the departed being attains satisfaction and departs; sacred places amplify dharmic acts and resolve preta-affliction.", "vedantic_theme": "Karma-phala and īśvara-niyati operating through tīrtha as a conduit of grace.", "practical_application": "Offer water and food to the needy/ancestors with faith, especially at tirthas; treat unexpected guests as recipients of dharma."}

Speakers

• Narrator to the listening audience/sage (dialogue frame not explicit in excerpt)

Key Themes

• Ritual order and hierarchy among spirits
• Completion of feeding rites
• Satisfaction (kāma-tṛpti) as a marker of successful offering
• Preta-pāla as administrative figure in the preta-world

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘preta-pāla’ and why does he eat after the others?

The term suggests an overseeing entity—an enforcer or steward among pretas. The narrative order (others eat first, then the preta-pāla) reflects a ritual logic: the offering is first directed to the many dependents, and only after their satisfaction does the supervisory figure partake, signaling completion and acceptance of the rite.

What does ‘kāmato ’mbhasi sevite’ convey in ritual terms?

It indicates that water—used for drinking, rinsing, or ritual satisfaction—was provided adequately and to their contentment. In feeding/appeasement scenes, both food and water are required to mark the offering as fully hospitable and efficacious.

Does this imply a formal śrāddha?

The verses resemble śrāddha-like motifs (food and water given to the departed), but the excerpt itself does not specify śrāddha procedures (piṇḍa, mantra, lineage). It functions more broadly as a tīrtha-māhātmya exemplum: feeding the departed in a sacred context yields visible, immediate results.