Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

The Description of the Caturdaśī Vrata Observed throughout the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

सनातन उवाच । श्रृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि चतुर्दश्या व्रतानि ते । यानि कृत्वा नरो लोके सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

sanātana uvāca | śrṛṇu nārada vakṣyāmi caturdaśyā vratāni te | yāni kṛtvā naro loke sarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt || 1 ||

Translation

Sanātana sprach: „Höre, o Nārada; ich werde dir die Gelübde darlegen, die am vierzehnten Mondtag (Caturdaśī) eingehalten werden. Wer sie vollzieht, kann in dieser Welt alle gewünschten Ziele erlangen.“

Word by Word

• sanātanaḥ: Sanātana
• sanātanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया/imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• nārada: O Nārada
• nārada: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• vakṣyāmi: I will tell
• vakṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया/main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 1st Person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• caturdaśyāḥ: of the fourteenth (day)
• caturdaśyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of (the) fourteenth (tithi)’

• vratāni: vows
• vratāni: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: 2nd person pronoun; Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; enclitic

• yāni: which
• yāni: Karma (कर्म/object of kṛtvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; relative pronoun referring to ‘vratāni’

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), indeclinable verbal; ‘having done’

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; qualifying ‘kāmān’

• kāmān: desires
• kāmān: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• avāpnuyāt: may obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया/main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sanātana

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Caturdaśī-vratāni (set of vows on the 14th lunar day)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanātana

FAQs

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

It introduces a structured teaching on Caturdaśī (the 14th tithi) vows, framing vrata-dharma as a practical means to gain desired outcomes and merit through disciplined observance.

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

Though not naming a deity here, it sets the devotional framework of listening (śravaṇa) and undertaking vows (vrata) as supportive practices that typically culminate in worship and devotion-oriented discipline.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It relies on calendrical/tithi-based ritual timing—an applied aspect of Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology/astronomy) used to determine Caturdaśī and properly perform observances.