Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 44

The Description of the Caturdaśī Vrata Observed throughout the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

गंधाद्यैः सम्यगभ्यर्च्य सौवर्णं भोज्य वाङवम् । दद्यात्तस्मै धर्मराजस्त्रायते भुवि नारद ॥ ४४ ॥

Transliteration

gaṃdhādyaiḥ samyagabhyarcya sauvarṇaṃ bhojya vāṅavam | dadyāttasmai dharmarājastrāyate bhuvi nārada || 44 ||

Translation

Nachdem man ihn mit Düften und dergleichen recht verehrt hat, soll man ein goldenes Geschenk zusammen mit Speise und einer Kuh darbringen. Durch diese Gabe, o Nārada, schützt Dharmarāja den Geber auf Erden.

Word by Word

• गन्ध-आद्यैः: with perfumes etc.
• गन्ध-आद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘गन्धः आदिः येषां तैः’ = with perfumes etc.); Instrumental plural

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु) → अभ्यर्च्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) = ‘having worshipped’

• सौवर्णम्: golden
• सौवर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; ‘golden/made of gold’; agrees with an implied/next noun (e.g., वस्तु/पात्र) or with ‘वाङवम्’ if taken as neuter object

• भोज्य: edible/food (to be eaten)
• भोज्य: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भोज्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘fit to be eaten/food’ (edible)

• वाङवम्: an offering-item (vāṅava)
• वाङवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाङव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; (lexical: a kind of offering/object; contextually ‘an item/oblation’)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should give’

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/4th), एकवचन; Dative singular (to him)

• धर्म-राजः: Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्म-राजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; Nominative singular

• त्रायते: protects
• त्रायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘protects/saves’

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू-स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/7th), एकवचन; Locative singular (on earth/in the world)

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; address

Speaker

Sanatkumara (instructing Narada in an enumerative dharma/दान-प्रशंसा context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Dharma-raja

FAQs

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

It teaches that properly performed dāna—preceded by respectful worship—invokes the protective power of Dharma (Dharma-rāja), yielding safety and well-being in worldly life.

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

While framed as dāna, the verse emphasizes reverent honoring (abhyarcana) before giving—an attitude of devotion and sacred respect that purifies charity and aligns it with dharmic worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure (kalpa-style conduct) is implied: honoring the recipient with upacāras (gandha etc.) and then giving prescribed gifts (suvarṇa, bhojya, go-dāna) as a dharmic act.