The Sanskrit term Varṇāśramadharmanirūpaṇa can be transliterated into English as Varnasramadharmanirupana or Varnashramadharmanirupana, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts

Varṇāśramadharmanirūpaṇa (वर्णाश्रमधर्मनिरूपण) (lit. “description of duties appropriate to class position and stations in life”) is the name of chapter 3 of the Viṣṇutilakasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text comprising 3500 Sanskrit verses covering the typically “agamic” subjects which are being narrated by Brahmā to a number of sages.

Description of the chapter [varṇāśramadharmanirūpaṇa]: The sages ask to know about jāti, varṇāśrama, etc., their origins and the duties and disciplines appropriate to each. Brahmā then gives a familiar description of the four classes and āśramas—who belongs to each, how marriages are to be limited lest mixed classes arise; and the respective duties of the four classes (1-37). Elaborating further on duties, he points out that for the twice-born, eight saṃskāra-sacraments are enjoined (38-41); further, the day is divided into five parts, according to the activities concentrated upon—abhigamana, upādāna, ijyā, svādhyāya and yoga (42).

Thus the daily routine begins with early rising, making one’s toilet and first meditations with japa, application of religious marks, doing four (104) sandhyās, going to the temple, returning home, collecting materials for one’s own worship, etc. all as parts of abhigamana (43-130). The daily routine continues with seeing next to the steps in upādāna getting flowers for worship, twigs, vessels, liquids, the groceries for food offerings, etc. (131-227).

The time for ijyā is about midday—and this is when one commences actual worship through various purifications, meditations on tattvas and jīva, mantrajapa, etc. (228-299a). Actual liturgical worship [bāhyārcana] is described step-by-step—how vessels are cleansed and arranged, how the yogapīṭha is to be made and arranged, worship of Acyuta (Viṣṇu) on the pīṭha, how to do nyāsas, mudrās, etc., and how to offer flowers, liquids, decorations, etc. indeed all the parts of all the āsanas are given [snānāsana, alaṅkārāsana, bhojyāsana, mantrāsana; also śayanāsana?] (299b-417). [A special section on the liturgy of temple worship is inserted here-418-442]. After liturgical worship is finished, anuyāga routines of food-gathering and feeding are to be attended to; only after this may a man himself eat, and then only by following certain ideal habits (443-467).

Svādhyāya is study-time (468-471). Yoga is to be done toward evening, and includes disciplined pursuit of certain pious habits—such as the sandhyās, visiting temples, attending to worship in one’s own house faithfully, etc., as well as the usual attempts at physical and mental exercises (472-489).

The five daily observances must be somewhat altered, of course, for ladies. Indeed the five constituents must be redifined for them (490-511a); widows, Sannyāsins and Brahmacarins, too, must do certain things appropriate to their condition; what these are, are briefly given (511b-514).

context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Varnashramadharma, Nirupana.

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Full-text: Smritimuktaphala, Dharmanirupana.

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Search found 1 books and stories containing Varnashramadharmanirupana, Varṇāśramadharmanirūpaṇa, Varṇāśramadharma-nirūpaṇa, Varnashramadharma-nirupana, Varnasramadharmanirupana, Varnasramadharma-nirupana; (plurals include: Varnashramadharmanirupanas, Varṇāśramadharmanirūpaṇas, nirūpaṇas, nirupanas, Varnasramadharmanirupanas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)

Page 140 < [Volume 12 (1898)]

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