Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13

The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months

Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana

Devanagari script

ततो घटसहस्रं तु देयं गंगाव्रते त्विदम् । भक्त्या कृतं सप्तकुलं नयेत्स्वर्गमसंशयः ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

tato ghaṭasahasraṃ tu deyaṃ gaṃgāvrate tvidam | bhaktyā kṛtaṃ saptakulaṃ nayetsvargamasaṃśayaḥ || 13 ||

Translation

Darum soll man in diesem Gaṅgā-vrata tausend Wasserkrüge spenden. Mit Bhakti vollzogen, führt es ohne Zweifel sieben Generationen der Familie in den Himmel.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; sequence adverb (ततः)

• ghaṭa-sahasram: a thousand pots
• ghaṭa-sahasram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā-vibhakti (2nd), Ekavacana; pramāṇa/saṅkhyā-vācaka object

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Kriyā (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा) + yat (यत्) / gerundive
• Form: Gerundive (णीयत्/यत्-अर्थे), Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kartavya (ought-to-be)

• gaṅgā-vrate: in the Gaṅgā-vow
• gaṅgā-vrate: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī-vibhakti (7th), Ekavacana; viṣaya-adhikaraṇa (in the vow)

• tu: and/indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti (1st), Ekavacana; sarvanāma

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (3rd), Ekavacana; hetu/karaṇa sense

• kṛtam: done/performed
• kṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle, Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; idam-viśeṣaṇa

• sapta-kulam: seven generations/families
• sapta-kulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; object of nayet

• nayet: would lead
• nayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (नी)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• svargam: to heaven
• svargam: Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; gati-karman (destination)

• asaṃśayaḥ: without doubt
• asaṃśayaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya usage as sentence-adverb; niścaya (certainty)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Gaṅgā-vrata

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Characters & Entities

• Ganga

FAQs

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

It teaches that tirtha-centered observances (here, Gaṅgā-vrata) become highly meritorious when joined with dāna and bhakti, producing expansive spiritual benefit even for one’s lineage.

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

The verse explicitly makes devotion (bhaktyā) the effective force: the same ritual donation becomes spiritually transformative when performed as an act of reverent offering rather than mere formality.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure (kalpa-style vrata/dāna prescription) is emphasized—specifically the rule-based performance of a vow and a quantified donation (ghaṭa-sahasra), reflecting applied dharma-ritual knowledge rather than grammar or astrology.