Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14

The exposition of the Pañcamī vow to be observed in the twelve months

Devanagari script

अशुभे तु समुत्पन्ने शिवपूजापरायणः । सोपवासो नयेदष्टयामं तद्दिनमेव वा ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

aśubhe tu samutpanne śivapūjāparāyaṇaḥ | sopavāso nayedaṣṭayāmaṃ taddinameva vā || 14 ||

Translation

Wenn jedoch etwas Unheilvolles auftritt, soll der dem Śiva-Kult ergebene Mensch Upavāsa (Fasten) halten und diese Zucht acht Yāmas (einen ganzen Tag) lang—oder wenigstens an eben diesem Tag—bewahren.

Word by Word

• aśubhe: in (something) inauspicious
• aśubhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); used substantively 'in an inauspicious (dream/omen)'

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (निपात), contrast

• samutpanne: having arisen/occurred
• samutpanne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samutpanna (सम्+उत्+√pad्/पत्; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with aśubhe

• śiva-pūjā-parāyaṇaḥ: devoted to worship of Shiva
• śiva-pūjā-parāyaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: śivasya pūjāyām parāyaṇaḥ = devoted to Shiva-worship

• sa-upavāsaḥ: with fasting/fasting
• sa-upavāsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); avyayībhāva sense 'with fasting'

• nayet: should spend/should pass (time)
• nayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• aṣṭa-yāmam: the eight watches (full day)
• aṣṭa-yāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + yāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu compound meaning 'eight watches' (a full day-night)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying dinam

• dinam: day
• dinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: just/only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक-निपात)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Śiva-śānti/upavāsa (remedial fast; specific vrata-name not stated)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents fasting combined with Śiva-worship as a dharmic remedy (śānti/prāyaścitta) to neutralize inauspicious conditions and restore inner and outer auspiciousness.

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

It frames bhakti as practical and disciplined: devotion to Śiva is expressed through pūjā and self-restraint (upavāsa), showing that sincere worship is also a lived vow.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied Kāla/Time-discipline used in ritual contexts—measuring observance by yāma units (a time-division relevant to traditional calendrical and ritual timing, often treated alongside Jyotiṣa-based practice).