Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

The Second Twelve-Month Vrata: Dvitīyā Observances and Their Fruits

Devanagari script

पौषशुक्लद्वितीयायां गोश्रृंगोदकमार्जनम् । सर्वकामप्रदं नॄणामास्ते बालेंदुदर्शनम् ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

pauṣaśukladvitīyāyāṃ gośrṛṃgodakamārjanam | sarvakāmapradaṃ nṝṇāmāste bāleṃdudarśanam || 23 ||

Translation

Am Dvitīyā, dem zweiten Mondtag der hellen Hälfte im Monat Pauṣa, heißt es, dass die Reinigung mit Wasser, das durch ein Kuhhorn geheiligt wurde, den Menschen die Erfüllung aller Wünsche gewährt; und auch das Schauen der jungen Mondsichel ist vorgeschrieben.

Word by Word

• पौषशुक्लद्वितीयायाम्: on the bright-second (tithi) of Pauṣa
• पौषशुक्लद्वितीयायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष-शुक्ल-द्वितीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्देश: ‘पौषस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य द्वितीया’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative time

• गोश्रृंगोदकमार्जनम्: cleansing with water (kept) in a cow’s horn
• गोश्रृंगोदकमार्जनम्: Karma (कर्म) / Object of implied ‘कुर्यात्’
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-शृङ्ग-उदक-मार्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (निर्देश: ‘गोशृङ्गस्य उदकेन मार्जनम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वकामप्रदम्: granting all desires
• सर्वकामप्रदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-काम-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वान् कामान् प्रददाति इति), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; predicate adjective

• नॄणाम्: of men / for people
• नॄणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; genitive

• आस्ते: is; remains; is established
• आस्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘exists/stands (as)’

• बालेंदुदर्शनम्: sighting of the young moon
• बालेंदुदर्शनम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल-इन्दु-दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयभाव: ‘बालः इन्दुः’ = young moon; तस्य दर्शनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; subject/complement with ‘आस्ते’

Speaker

Sage Nārada (teaching the Sanatkumāra tradition in a vrata/observance context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none (Pauṣa-śukla-dvitīyā observance)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Chandra (the Moon)

FAQs

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

It links a specific tithi (Pauṣa Śukla Dvitīyā) with śauca (purificatory cleansing) using gośṛṅgodaka and with bālendu-darśana, presenting these as auspicious acts that harmonize the practitioner with sacred time and yield desired results.

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

Though framed as a ritual observance, it supports bhakti by cultivating purity, attentiveness to sacred calendrical time, and reverent darśana—disciplines that traditionally prepare the mind for steady devotion to the Divine.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It relies on Jyotiṣa/Vedic calendrics: identifying Pauṣa, the bright fortnight (śukla pakṣa), and the tithi Dvitīyā, along with the practice of lunar darśana as a time-specific rite.