Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57

The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months

Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana

Devanagari script

सौवर्णं गंधपुष्पाद्यैः कृत्वा रात्रौ च जागरम् । परेऽह्नि विप्रान्सम्भोज्य पायसेन तु सप्त वै ॥ ५७ ॥

Transliteration

sauvarṇaṃ gaṃdhapuṣpādyaiḥ kṛtvā rātrau ca jāgaram | pare'hni viprānsambhojya pāyasena tu sapta vai || 57 ||

Translation

Nachdem man eine goldene Gabe bereitet hat, zusammen mit Duftstoffen, Blumen und dergleichen, und die Nacht hindurch gewacht hat, soll man am folgenden Tag sieben Brāhmaṇas mit Pāyasa, süßem Milchreis, bewirten.

Word by Word

• सौवर्णम्: golden
• सौवर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कर्मपदस्य) विशेषणम्

• गन्ध-पुष्प-आद्यैः: with perfumes, flowers, etc.
• गन्ध-पुष्प-आद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (गन्धः च पुष्पाणि च), ‘आदि’ समाहारार्थक; करणत्वेन

• कृत्वा: having made (it)
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अर्थः—कृत्वा = having made/done

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• जागरम्: a vigil (wakefulness)
• जागरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘जागरं कृत्वा’ इति कर्म

• परे-अह्नि: on the next day
• परे-अह्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (परः अह्निः = परेऽह्नि, ‘next day’)

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सम्-भोज्य: having fed (them)
• सम्-भोज्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्गः सम्; अर्थः—भोजयित्वा/सम्यक् भोजयित्वा (having fed)

• पायसेन: with rice-pudding (pāyasa)
• पायसेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करणम् (means)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विशेषार्थक

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषणम्; (विप्रान्) विशेषयति; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे प्रयोगः

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Narada (in instruction within a vrata/ritual context, as transmitted in the Narada Purana dialogue tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Sarvāpti-vrata (continuation)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

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

It teaches a complete vrata-sequence: worship with auspicious offerings, night-long wakefulness (jāgaraṇa) as disciplined devotion, and concluding merit through respectful brāhmaṇa-feeding (bhojana) with a sattvic food like pāyasa.

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

Bhakti is expressed through embodied practices—offering fragrance and flowers, maintaining a vigil with remembrance, and serving the Lord’s devotees/learned brāhmaṇas—turning ritual into sustained devotion and humility.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): the ordered steps of a vow—upacāra-offerings, jāgaraṇa, and prescribed number-based brāhmaṇa-bhojana—showing how dharmic acts are performed with rule-based precision.