Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40

Dīpa-vidhi-vyākhyānam

Procedure for Lamp-Offering to Hanumān

Devanagari script

रुद्रैकविंशपिंडांश्च त्रिधा मंडलमानकम् । लघुमानं स्मृतं पंच सप्त वा नव वा तथा ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

rudraikaviṃśapiṃḍāṃśca tridhā maṃḍalamānakam | laghumānaṃ smṛtaṃ paṃca sapta vā nava vā tathā || 40 ||

Translation

إحدى وعشرون كُرَيّة من «رودرا» (piṇḍa) تُكوِّن مقدارَ مَنْدَلا واحدًا، مُقَدَّرًا بتقسيمٍ ثلاثي. ويُذْكَر معيار «اللَّغُو» (الخفيف) أنه يتألّف من خمس—أو سبع، أو تسع—من تلك الوحدات أيضًا.

Word by Word

• रुद्र-एक-विंश-पिण्डान्: Rudra-units (lumps) numbering twenty-one
• रुद्र-एक-विंश-पिण्डान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + एक + विंशति + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (संख्यापूर्वक-निर्देशः)

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

• त्रिधा: in three ways / threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• मण्डल-मानकम्: the measure for the circle/diagram
• मण्डल-मानकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल + मानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मण्डलस्य मानकम्)

• लघु-मानम्: the small measure
• लघु-मानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघु + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (लघुं मानम्)

• स्मृतम्: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘is said/remembered’

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विकल्पे गणनासूचकः

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विकल्पे गणनासूचकः

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

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विकल्पे गणनासूचकः

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

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the technical standards of māna/measurement within Vedāṅga-oriented science)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that Vedic practice is not only devotional but also precise: correct, tradition-backed measures (māna) safeguard the integrity of ritual and sacred procedure.

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

Indirectly: devotion is strengthened when worship and offerings are performed carefully and according to śāstra; accurate māna supports disciplined, reverent practice rather than casual improvisation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A technical metrological rule: how counted units (piṇḍas) relate to a maṇḍala-standard and how a smaller (laghu) scale may be set as 5, 7, or 9 units—useful for ritual calibration and traditional computations.