Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38

द्वादशमासेषु अष्टमी-व्रत-कथनम्

Account of the Aṣṭamī Vow Across the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

ततस्तां प्रतिमां विष्णोः स्वर्णधेनुधरान्विताम् । गुरवे दक्षिणां दत्वा विसृज्याश्रीत च स्वयम् ॥ ३८ ॥

Transliteration

tatastāṃ pratimāṃ viṣṇoḥ svarṇadhenudharānvitām | gurave dakṣiṇāṃ datvā visṛjyāśrīta ca svayam || 38 ||

Translation

Dann, nachdem er jenes Bildnis Viṣṇus—begleitet von der Gabe einer goldenen Kuh—dargebracht und dem Lehrer die dakṣiṇā (Opfergabe/Entlohnung) überreicht hat, soll er das Ritual ordnungsgemäß beschließen und danach selbst beim Herrn Zuflucht nehmen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तस्मात्/ततः = ablatival adverb (ततः)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रतिमाम्: image/idol
• प्रतिमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• स्वर्ण-धेनु-धर-अन्विताम्: endowed with a bearer of a golden cow
• स्वर्ण-धेनु-धर-अन्विताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, धृ धातु) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, अन्वि/अनु √इ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—(स्वर्णधेनुधर) तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्णस्य धेनोः धरः) + अन्विता (युक्ता)

• गुरवे: to the teacher
• गुरवे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• दक्षिणाम्: gift/fee (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दत्वा: having given
• दत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having given’

• विसृज्य: having released/dismissed
• विसृज्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having dismissed/released’

• आश्रितः: having resorted (to)/taking refuge
• आश्रितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘one who has resorted’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक (reflexive adverb)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a prescriptive, ritual-instruction mode)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Guru

FAQs

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

It links correct ritual completion—offering dakṣiṇā and concluding the rite—with the inner culmination of taking refuge in Viṣṇu, showing that external worship should mature into surrender.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent worship of Viṣṇu, gratitude to the guru through dakṣiṇā, and finally āśraya (seeking shelter) in the Lord—devotion moving from act to attitude.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): giving dakṣiṇā to the officiant/teacher and formally ‘visarjana’ (concluding/dismissing) the rite as a required step in pūjā and yajña-style observances.