Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 6

Pūrṇimā-vrata (Lakṣmī–Nārāyaṇa-vrata): Observance, Moon Arghya, and Annual Udyāpana

Devanagari script

नित्यं देवार्चनं कृत्वा पश्वात्संकल्पपूर्वकम् । लक्ष्मी नारायणं देवमर्चयेद्भक्तिभावतः ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration

nityaṃ devārcanaṃ kṛtvā paśvātsaṃkalpapūrvakam | lakṣmī nārāyaṇaṃ devamarcayedbhaktibhāvataḥ || 6 ||

Translation

Nachdem man die tägliche Verehrung der Gottheiten vollzogen hat, soll man danach—nachdem man zuvor den Saṅkalpa (rituellen Entschluss) gefasst hat—den Herrn Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa in hingebungsvoller Bhakti verehren.

Word by Word

• nityam: always/daily
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (क्रियाविशेषणम्/Adverb)

• deva-arcanaṃ: worship of the deity/deities
• deva-arcanaṃ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā (Acc.), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ‘देवानाम् अर्चनम्’

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त)

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla/krama-vācaka adverb (पश्चात्)

• saṃkalpa-pūrvakam: preceded by a resolve (saṅkalpa)
• saṃkalpa-pūrvakam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃkalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva-samāsa; avyaya-prayoga as adverb ‘saṃkalpena pūrvam’

• lakṣmī-nārāyaṇam: Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa
• lakṣmī-nārāyaṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक) + nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc.), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी) ‘लक्ष्म्याः नारायणः’/‘लक्ष्मीसहितः नारायणः’ (परम्परया)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (कर्म/Object; appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc.), Ekavacana; apposition to lakṣmī-nārāyaṇam

• arcayet: should worship
• arcayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipadam

• bhakti-bhāvataḥ: out of devotional feeling
• bhakti-bhāvataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva; Ablative-sense adverb (तसिल्) ‘भक्तिभावात्’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi
• Narayana
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches that daily worship becomes spiritually potent when it is grounded in conscious intention (saṅkalpa) and offered to Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa with genuine bhakti-bhāva, not merely as a routine act.

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

Bhakti here is defined by inner disposition—'bhakti-bhāvataḥ'—showing that devotion is the essential element that completes external worship, directing the practitioner toward loving surrender to Vishnu with Lakshmi.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual procedure: the use of saṅkalpa (a formal statement of intent) as a structured component of worship, reflecting practical kalpa-style discipline (ritual method) applied to daily pūjā.