Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4

Matsya-purāṇa Anukramaṇikā

Synopsis / Table of Contents

Devanagari script

मदनद्वादशी तद्वल्लोकपालाभिपूजनम् । मन्वन्तरसमुद्देशो वैश्यराज्याभिवर्णनम् ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

madanadvādaśī tadvallokapālābhipūjanam | manvantarasamuddeśo vaiśyarājyābhivarṇanam || 4 ||

Translation

ومن الموضوعات: نذرُ «مَدَنَ-دْوَادَشِي»؛ وكذلك عبادةُ اللوكَبالا، حُرّاس العوالم؛ وإجمالُ عصور المانو (المانفنترا)؛ ووصفُ مُلكِ ملوكِ الفيشيا.

Word by Word

• मदन-द्वादशी: Madanadvādaśī (the Madana twelfth lunar day observance)
• मदन-द्वादशी: Karta (कर्ता/विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मदनस्य द्वादशी)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुलनार्थक/अनुकरणार्थक (adverb) — ‘likewise/in the same manner’

• लोकपाल-अभिपूजनम्: the worship of the guardians of the worlds
• लोकपाल-अभिपूजनम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिपूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकपालानाम् अभिपूजनम्)

• मन्वन्तर-समुद्देशः: a summary account of the Manvantaras
• मन्वन्तर-समुद्देशः: Karta (कर्ता/विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्वन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मन्वन्तरस्य समुद्देशः/संक्षेपवर्णनम्)

• वैश्य-राज्य-अभिवर्णनम्: the description of the Vaiśya kingdom/rule
• वैश्य-राज्य-अभिवर्णनम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिवर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वैश्यराज्यस्य अभिवर्णनम्)

Speaker

Suta (narrating the contents as an anukramaṇikā-style summary)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Madana-dvādaśī

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Lokapalas
• Manu (by implication of Manvantara)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It functions as an anukramaṇikā (table-of-contents verse), signaling that the chapter will cover vow-based devotion (Madana-dvādaśī), deity/guardian worship (Lokapālas), cosmic time cycles (Manvantaras), and dharmic-political themes (descriptions of certain royal lineages).

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By foregrounding a Dvādaśī vrata and formal worship (abhipūjana), it points to bhakti expressed through disciplined observance, reverence, and ritual honoring of divine cosmic administrators.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa-oriented ritual practice is implied through the mention of a specific vrata and worship procedure, while the Manvantara outline also supports traditional calendrical/cosmological reckoning used in Purāṇic timekeeping.