Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 56

The Exposition of the Dvādaśī Vow for the Twelve Months

Dvādaśī-vrata-nirṇaya and Mahā-dvādaśī Lakṣaṇas

Devanagari script

त्वष्टा विवस्वान्सविता विष्णुर्द्वादश ईरिताः । प्रतिमासं तु शुक्लायां द्वादश्यामर्च्य यत्नतः ॥ ५६ ॥

Transliteration

tvaṣṭā vivasvānsavitā viṣṇurdvādaśa īritāḥ | pratimāsaṃ tu śuklāyāṃ dvādaśyāmarcya yatnataḥ || 56 ||

Translation

So sind die zwölf (monatlichen) Gestalten verkündet worden — darunter Tvaṣṭā, Vivasvān, Savitā und Viṣṇu. In jedem Monat soll man am Dvādaśī der hellen Monatshälfte (Śukla Dvādaśī) sie mit Eifer verehren.

Word by Word

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭā
• त्वष्टा: सम्बोधन/नामनिर्देश (Name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विवस्वान्: Vivasvān
• विवस्वान्: सम्बोधन/नामनिर्देश (Name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सविता: Savitā
• सविता: सम्बोधन/नामनिर्देश (Name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: सम्बोधन/नामनिर्देश (Name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: विशेषण (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे (agreeing with implied ‘आदित्याः’)

• ईरिताः: are said/mentioned
• ईरिताः: कर्मणि-भाव (Predicative passive/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर्/ईरय् (धातु)
• Form: कृत (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अर्थे: ‘declared/mentioned’

• प्रति-मासम्: every month
• प्रति-मासम्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverb/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास; अव्ययवत् (adverbial), अर्थ: ‘each month’

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• शुक्लायाम्: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लायाम्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; ‘(तिथौ) शुक्लायाम्’ = in the bright (fortnight)

• द्वादश्याम्: on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• अर्च्य: having worshipped
• अर्च्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (gerund), अव्ययभावेन; ‘having worshipped’

• यत्नतः: carefully/with effort
• यत्नतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb of manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb), manner

Speaker

Narada (teaching in the Narada Purana dialogue tradition, commonly transmitted via Suta)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśa-Āditya-vrata

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Tvaṣṭā
• Vivasvān
• Savitā
• Viṣṇu
• Dvādaśī

FAQs

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

It links devotion to a disciplined sacred calendar: by honoring the divinity expressed through the Sun’s named forms on Śukla Dvādaśī each month, the practitioner aligns worship with cosmic order (ṛta) and sustains steady bhakti.

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

Bhakti is presented as regular, time-honored practice—monthly worship performed “yatnataḥ” (with careful effort). The mention of Viṣṇu among the forms underscores that devotion to Viṣṇu can be cultivated through such vrata-based, tithi-centered worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights calendrical discipline—knowing tithi (Dvādaśī) and the bright fortnight (śukla pakṣa), which relates to Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology/astronomy) used for timing rituals correctly.