Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

The Narration of the Navamī Vow Observed Across the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

ततो द्विजान्भोजयित्वा मिष्टान्नेन मुनीश्वर । स्वयं भुक्त्वा च विहरेद्द्विजेभ्यो दत्तदक्षिणः ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

tato dvijānbhojayitvā miṣṭānnena munīśvara | svayaṃ bhuktvā ca vihareddvijebhyo dattadakṣiṇaḥ || 25 ||

Translation

Dann, o Herr der Weisen, nachdem man die Dvija (Brahmanen) mit süßen, erlesenen Speisen gespeist und ihnen die gebührende dakṣiṇā (Ehrengabe) dargebracht hat, soll man selbst essen und danach in ruhiger, heiterer Weise verweilen.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla/Anukrama (काल/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण); thereafter

• dvijān: Brahmins (twice-born)
• dvijān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; object of bhojayitvā

• bhojayitvā: having fed
• bhojayitvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु) [causative: bhojay-]
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा); having caused to eat/fed

• miṣṭa-annena: with sweet food
• miṣṭa-annena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: miṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; means; miṣṭam annam

• munīśvara: O lord of sages
• munīśvara: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: munīśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; muni + īśvara (munīnām īśvaraḥ)

• svayam: oneself
• svayam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; reflexive adverb

• bhuktvā: having eaten
• bhuktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा); having eaten

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• viharet: should amuse/roam (spend time pleasantly)
• viharet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, 3rd Person, Singular; parasmaipada; (text has viharet/vihared by sandhi)

• dvijebhyaḥ: to the Brahmins
• dvijebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी) or Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Plural; here dative with 'given' sense

• datta-dakṣiṇaḥ: having given the honorarium (dakṣiṇā)
• datta-dakṣiṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: datta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; bahuvrīhi-like sense but form as tatpuruṣa: dattā dakṣiṇā yasya; qualifies implied agent

Speaker

Narada (addressing a sage as 'munīśvara' within the instructional narration)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brahmins)
• Dakshina

FAQs

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

It teaches the proper completion of a religious act: honor the learned (dvijas) with food and dakṣiṇā, then partake oneself—showing humility, gratitude, and right ritual closure.

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

Bhakti is expressed through respectful service and giving: feeding devotees/priests and offering dakṣiṇā as an act of reverence, then living with contentment rather than haste or display.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): the sequence of dvija-bhojana, offering dakṣiṇā, and then the performer’s own meal—an etiquette point in ritual completion.