Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

The Exposition of the Pratipadā Vrata for the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

नैवेद्यं तु पचेन्मौनी षोडशत्रिगुणानि च । फलानि पिष्टपक्वानि दद्याद्विप्राय षोडश ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

naivedyaṃ tu pacenmaunī ṣoḍaśatriguṇāni ca | phalāni piṣṭapakvāni dadyādviprāya ṣoḍaśa || 24 ||

Translation

ومن يلتزم نذر الصمت فليطبخ النَّيْوِدْيَا (قربان الطعام) بمقدارٍ يساوي ستةَ عشرَ مضروبةً في ثلاثة، وليُعطِ لبرهمنٍ ستةَ عشرَ صنفًا من الثمار وستةَ عشرَ صنفًا من المطبوخات المصنوعة من الدقيق.

Word by Word

• नैवेद्यम्: food offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• पचेत्: should cook
• पचेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मौनी: the observer of silence (votary)
• मौनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौनिन्/मौनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; व्रती-विशेषः

• षोडश-त्रि-गुणानि: sixteen times threefold (i.e., 48 kinds/portions)
• षोडश-त्रि-गुणानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; परिमाण-विशेषणम् (quantifying adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: 'and')

• फलानि: fruits
• फलानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; दानस्य कर्म

• पिष्ट-पक्वानि: ground (made into paste) and cooked
• पिष्ट-पक्वानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + पक्व (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; फलानि-विशेषणम्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विप्राय: to a brāhmaṇa
• विप्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (recipient)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; परिमाण-विशेषण (quantifier), 'फलानि' इत्यस्य संख्या

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Mauna-vrata (continuation)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

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

It links worship (naivedya) with self-restraint (mauna) and charity (dāna), teaching that devotion is completed by disciplined conduct and honoring sacred recipients such as brāhmaṇas.

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

Bhakti is shown as practical service: preparing an offering with purity and restraint, then extending the merit outward through gifting—devotion expressed through both ritual and compassionate giving.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects ritual procedure and measurement/counting (saṅkhyā/vidhi) used in karmakāṇḍa-style observances—structured quantities (sixteen, thrice-multiplied) and prescribed items for offering and dāna.