Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

The Account of the Ekādaśī Vow Observed Throughout the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

पौरुषेणैव सूक्तेन ह्युपचारान् प्रकल्पयेत् । नीराजनांतान्पाद्यादींस्ततः संप्रार्थयेद्धरिम् ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

pauruṣeṇaiva sūktena hyupacārān prakalpayet | nīrājanāṃtānpādyādīṃstataḥ saṃprārthayeddharim || 22 ||

Translation

Allein mit dem Pauruṣa-Sūkta soll man die gottesdienstlichen Handlungen (upacāras) ordnen — beginnend mit Gaben wie dem Fußwasser (pādya) bis hin zum Schwenken der Lichter (nīrājana); danach soll man inbrünstig zu Hari beten.

Word by Word

• पौरुषेण: with manly/heroic (effort)
• पौरुषेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (3rd case)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• सूक्तेन: with a hymn/utterance
• सूक्तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle), अव्यय

• उपचारान्: services/offerings
• उपचारान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• प्रकल्पयेत्: should arrange/prepare
• प्रकल्पयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3rd sg

• नीराजन-अन्तान्: ending with nīrājana (lamp-waving)
• नीराजन-अन्तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीराजन (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; Accusative plural; तत्पुरुषः (अन्ताः येषां ते) ‘ending with nīrājana’

• पाद्य-आदीन्: pādya etc. (foot-water and other items)
• पाद्य-आदीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; Accusative plural; ‘pādya and the rest’

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Desha/Kala-adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• संप्रार्थयेत्: should pray/request
• संप्रार्थयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र√अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3rd sg

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a didactic passage; traditional dialogue context with Sanatkumara brothers)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that sincere devotion to Hari can be expressed through a complete worship-sequence (upacāras) anchored in a single, authoritative Vedic hymn—the Pauruṣa Sūkta—culminating in heartfelt prayer.

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

Bhakti here is shown as structured reverence: offering services from pādya onward, completing ārati (nīrājana), and then directly praying to Hari—devotion expressed through both ritual care and inner supplication.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual application of mantra (connected to Śikṣā for correct recitation and Kalpa for procedural worship) is implied: one hymn is used to sanctify each upacāra in a disciplined pūjā sequence.