Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34

The Narration of the Trayodaśī Vow Observed Throughout the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

पंचामृतेन संस्नाप्य मण्डलेऽष्टदले शुभे । पीठे विन्यस्य वस्त्राढ्यं गंधाद्यैः परिपूजयेत् ॥ ३४ ॥

Transliteration

paṃcāmṛtena saṃsnāpya maṇḍale'ṣṭadale śubhe | pīṭhe vinyasya vastrāḍhyaṃ gaṃdhādyaiḥ paripūjayet || 34 ||

Translation

Nachdem man (die Gottheit oder das heilige Zeichen) mit pañcāmṛta gebadet hat, soll man es in einem glückverheißenden achtblättrigen Maṇḍala auf einen pīṭha setzen, mit Gewändern schmücken und dann vollständig mit Düften und weiteren Gaben verehren.

Word by Word

• pañca-amṛtena: with pañcāmṛta (five-nectar mixture)
• pañca-amṛtena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + amṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; dvigu ‘five nectars’ (pañcāmṛta) as instrument

• saṃsnāpya: having bathed (the deity/image)
• saṃsnāpya: Kriya (क्रिया; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√snā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त), having bathed (someone/something)

• maṇḍale: in/on the maṇḍala
• maṇḍale: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• aṣṭa-dale: eight-petalled
• aṣṭa-dale: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + dala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; dvigu ‘eight-petalled’; qualifies maṇḍale

• śubhe: auspicious
• śubhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; qualifies maṇḍale

• pīṭhe: on the pedestal/seat
• pīṭhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• vinyasya: having placed
• vinyasya: Kriya (क्रिया; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√nyas (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त), having placed/installed

• vastra-āḍhyam: adorned with garments
• vastra-āḍhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘rich in garments’; qualifies implied ‘pratimā/arcā’ as object of paripūjayet

• gandha-ādyaiḥ: with perfumes and the like
• gandha-ādyaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; tatpuruṣa ‘with fragrance etc.’ (incense, flowers, etc.)

• paripūjayet: should worship fully
• paripūjayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√pūj (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; injunction

Speaker

Narada (teaching ritual procedure in the Purva Bhaga context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: gotrirātra-vrata (contextual continuation)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

FAQs

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

It presents a standard pūjā sequence—abhiṣeka (bath), proper installation on a pīṭha, and complete worship with upacāras—showing that devotion is expressed through orderly, reverent ritual action.

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

Bhakti here is practical and embodied: the devotee serves the deity through bathing, adorning, and offering fragrances and other items, treating worship as loving attendance (sevā) rather than mere recitation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects kalpa/ritual science (a Vedāṅga domain): constructing a maṇḍala, performing abhiṣeka with pañcāmṛta, and applying prescribed upacāras in the correct order.