Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41

The Account of the Third-day Vow Observed through the Twelve Months

Tṛtīyā-vrata

Devanagari script

तत्पक्वेन तु निर्माय देव्या मूर्तिं सुशोमनाम् । प्रकरे गंधपुष्पाणां पुष्पमालाविभूषिताम् ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

tatpakvena tu nirmāya devyā mūrtiṃ suśomanām | prakare gaṃdhapuṣpāṇāṃ puṣpamālāvibhūṣitām || 41 ||

Translation

Dann soll man aus diesem gut gegarten Material ein wunderschönes Bildnis der Devī formen, es mit Blumengirlanden schmücken und mit duftenden Blumen umgeben.

Word by Word

• तत्-पक्वेन: with that cooked (preparation)
• तत्-पक्वेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पक्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (तेन पक्वेन = with that cooked (mixture))

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• निर्माय: having made
• निर्माय: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्+मा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having made/formed’

• देव्याः: of the goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• मूर्तिम्: an image/form
• मूर्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• सुशोमनाम्: very beautiful
• सुशोमनाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु+शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (मूर्तिम्)

• प्रकरे: in a heap/collection
• प्रकरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचनम्

• गन्धपुष्पाणाम्: of perfumes and flowers
• गन्धपुष्पाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्व-समासः (गन्धाश्च पुष्पाणि च)

• पुष्पमाला-विभूषिताम्: adorned with a garland of flowers
• पुष्पमाला-विभूषिताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + वि+भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → विभूषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पमालया विभूषिता)

Speaker

Narada (instructional narration within Anukramanika/ritual-description flow)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Characters & Entities

• Devi (the Goddess)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes devotional sanctity through careful preparation: the deity’s form is crafted from properly prepared material and honored with fragrance and garlands, showing that outer purity and beauty support inner reverence (bhāva) in worship.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as attentive service (upacāra): creating a pleasing form of the Goddess and offering fragrant flowers/garlands, which cultivates love, remembrance, and respectful surrender through tangible acts of worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It most directly reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): how to prepare materials, install/arrange the worship space, and perform floral adorning as a standardized upacāra in pūjā.