Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

एकभक्तपरो विप्र वाजपेयफलाप्तये । माघमासे तु वा शुक्ला नवमी लोकपूजिता ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

ekabhaktaparo vipra vājapeyaphalāptaye | māghamāse tu vā śuklā navamī lokapūjitā || 29 ||

Translation

يا أيها البرهمن، من لزم نذر «إكابهكتا»—وجبة واحدة في اليوم—نال ثمرة يَجْنَة فاجابِيا (Vājapeya). وفي شهر ماغها (Māgha) يكون اليوم التاسع من النصف المضيء (شُكلا نَفَمِي) مُعظَّمًا عند الناس كافة.

Word by Word

• एकभक्तपरः: devoted to taking one meal (only)
• एकभक्तपरः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + भक्त + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—एकं भक्तं यस्य/एकभक्तः, तस्मिन् परः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-भावार्थः); ‘devoted to single meal’

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• वाजपेयफलाप्तये: for attaining the fruit of the Vājapeya (sacrifice)
• वाजपेयफलाप्तये: सम्प्रदान (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजपेय + फल + आप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; समासः—वाजपेयस्य फलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + आप्तिः (तत्पुरुष)

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: अधिकरण (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघमास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—माघः मासः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक (particle)

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• शुक्ला: bright (fortnight)
• शुक्ला: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नवमी-विशेषण

• नवमी: the ninth (tithi)
• नवमी: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• लोकपूजिता: worshipped by people
• लोकपूजिता: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + पूजित (पूज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); समासः—लोकैः पूजिता (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Ekabhakta-vrata connected to Navamī observance (explicit ekabhakta; Navamī praised)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vajapeya

FAQs

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

It elevates a simple austerity—observing ekabhakta (one meal a day)—to the level of producing the merit traditionally associated with a major Vedic soma-sacrifice (Vājapeya), highlighting accessible dharma through vrata.

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

By praising disciplined observance (vrata) and reverence for sacred time (tithi), the verse implies that sincere, steady practice can yield great spiritual merit—an approach often integrated with Vishnu-bhakti in Purāṇic dharma.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It relies on calendrical ritual knowledge—tithi and māsa observance (Jyotiṣa Vedāṅga)—specifically the Māgha month and Śukla Navamī as a ritually potent time.