Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 45

The Explanation of the Twelve-Month Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

तदग्रे पूर्णपक्वान्नं विन्यसेत्करकान्दश । समर्प्य देवदेवाय भक्त्या प्रयतमानसा ॥ ४५ ॥

Transliteration

tadagre pūrṇapakvānnaṃ vinyasetkarakāndaśa | samarpya devadevāya bhaktyā prayatamānasā || 45 ||

Translation

Dann stelle man davor zehn Gefäße auf, gefüllt mit vollkommen gekochter Speise; und mit gezügeltem, gereinigtem Geist bringe man es in Bhakti dem Gott der Götter dar.

Word by Word

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निर्देशार्थक/सम्बन्धसूचक (deictic/connecting particle)

• अग्रे: in front/at the beginning
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (locative used adverbially)

• पूर्णपक्वान्नम्: fully cooked food
• पूर्णपक्वान्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्ण + पक्व + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (fully-cooked food)

• विन्यसेत्: should place/arrange
• विन्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√अस्/न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• करकान्: pots/vessels
• करकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण; (अव्ययवत्) प्रायः सर्वलिङ्ग/अविकारी; अत्र करकान् इति विशेष्यस्य संख्या

• समर्प्य: having offered
• समर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having offered)

• देवदेवाय: to the God of gods
• देवदेवाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• प्रयतमानसा: with a disciplined/attentive mind
• प्रयतमानसा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (प्रयतं मानसं यस्याः/यया) — agreeing with implied agent (she)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Deva-deva (Supreme Lord, commonly Vishnu)

FAQs

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

It teaches that external ritual—here, arranging vessels of cooked food—must be joined with inner purity and devotion, making the offering a true act of surrender to the Supreme.

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

Bhakti is shown as practical worship: preparing and presenting naivedya with a focused, restrained mind, and dedicating it to Deva-deva rather than treating the act as mere formality.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure (kalpa-style discipline) is emphasized: correct placement/arrangement of offerings and the requirement of mental purity (prayata-manas) as part of proper puja performance.