Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50

Dvādaśī-vrata: Month-by-month Viṣṇu Worship and the Year-End Udyāpana

Devanagari script

द्रोणक्षीरेण देवेशं स्नापयेद्भक्तिंसंयुतः । जागरं तत्र कर्त्तव्यं त्रिकालार्चनसंयुतम् ॥ ५० ॥

Transliteration

droṇakṣīreṇa deveśaṃ snāpayedbhaktiṃsaṃyutaḥ | jāgaraṃ tatra karttavyaṃ trikālārcanasaṃyutam || 50 ||

Translation

بمحبةٍ تعبّدية (bhakti) ينبغي أن يُغسَّل ديفيشا، ربّ الآلهة، بمقدار «دروṇa» من اللبن. وهناك يجب أيضًا إقامة السهر التعبّدي (jāgara) مع العبادة في الأوقات الثلاثة من اليوم.

Word by Word

• द्रोण: a droṇa-measure
• द्रोण: समासाङ्ग (compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, (in compound) measure-name stem

• क्षीरेण: with milk
• क्षीरेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• देवेशम्: Lord of gods
• देवेशम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (him) / should perform bathing
• स्नापयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘should cause to bathe’

• भक्तिम्: devotion
• भक्तिम्: समासाङ्ग (compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (in compound with संयुत)

• संयुतः: endowed with
• संयुतः: कर्ता (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘endowed/connected with’

• जागरम्: vigil (keeping awake)
• जागरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘night-vigil’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कर्त्तव्यम्: must be done
• कर्त्तव्यम्: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be done’

• त्रि: three
• त्रि: समासाङ्ग (compound-member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (in compound) ‘three’

• काल: times/periods
• काल: समासाङ्ग (compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, (in compound) ‘time’

• अर्चन: worship
• अर्चन: समासाङ्ग (compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (in compound) ‘worship’

• संयुतम्: accompanied with
• संयुतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘accompanied by’

Speaker

Narada (teaching vrata and worship procedure, in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none (part of a Dvādaśī/Vaiṣṇava worship regimen implied by surrounding verses)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devesha (Vishnu/Hari)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that ritual offerings (like milk-abhiṣeka) become spiritually potent when joined with bhakti, and that sustained attentiveness—jāgara with trikāla worship—deepens the vow’s sacred focus.

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

Bhakti is made primary: the bathing of the Lord is not presented as mere ceremony, but as an act explicitly to be done “bhakti-saṃyutaḥ,” supported by continuous remembrance through vigil and repeated daily worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual time-keeping and procedure are highlighted: trikāla-arcana requires correct division of the day (kāla-viveka) and disciplined performance of worship sequences—practical liturgical knowledge used in Purāṇic vrata-vidhi.