Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

क्षीरेणाढकमानेन स्नापयेद्यस्त्रिविक्तमम् । नमस्त्रिविक्तमायेति पूजयेद्भक्तिसंयुतः ॥ ५३ ॥

Transliteration

kṣīreṇāḍhakamānena snāpayedyastriviktamam | namastriviktamāyeti pūjayedbhaktisaṃyutaḥ || 53 ||

Translation

مَن يغسّل تريفكراما (Trivikrama) بمقدار آḍhaka من اللبن، ويعبده بخشوع البهاكتي مردِّدًا المانترا «نَمَه تريفكرامايا» (Namah Trivikrāmāya)، ينل كمالًا روحيًّا.

Word by Word

• क्षीरेण: with milk
• क्षीरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with milk)

• आढक-मानेन: by the measure of one āḍhaka
• आढक-मानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आढक (प्रातिपदिक) + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध): ‘आढकस्य मानम्’ = a measure of one āḍhaka; Instrumental singular

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to bathe)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative: ‘should cause to bathe’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘who’

• त्रिविक्तमम्: Triviktama (the deity)
• त्रिविक्तमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिविक्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; proper name/title (object of worship)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (सम्बोधन/प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात); indeclinable interjection used with dative/for salutation

• त्रिविक्तमाय: to Triviktama
• त्रिविक्तमाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिविक्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular ‘to Triviktama’

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-marker (इति-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotative particle marking the utterance

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should worship’

• भक्ति-संयुतः: endowed with devotion
• भक्ति-संयुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + सं-युत (कृदन्त, युज् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘भक्त्या संयुतः’ = endowed with devotion; agrees with implied ‘सः/यः’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Traivikrama-vrata (implied by context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Trivikrama
• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere devotion expressed through abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) and mantra-based worship of Trivikrama is a direct means of pleasing Vishnu and gaining spiritual merit.

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

Bhakti is shown as practical and embodied: the devotee offers a pure substance (milk), performs respectful service, and worships with a simple, heartfelt salutation—“namo…”.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual measurement and procedure are implied (use of the unit āḍhaka and the act of snāpana/abhiṣeka), reflecting applied Kalpa (ritual discipline) rather than grammar or astrology.