Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

Gṛhastha-praveśa: Vivāha-bheda, Ācāra-śauca, Śrāddha-kāla, and Vaiṣṇava-lakṣaṇa

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्यादयो विप्र विवाहाः पंचज गर्हिताः । अभावेषु तु पूर्वेषां कुर्यादेव परान्बुधः ॥ १८ ॥

Transliteration

prājāpatyādayo vipra vivāhāḥ paṃcaja garhitāḥ | abhāveṣu tu pūrveṣāṃ kuryādeva parānbudhaḥ || 18 ||

Translation

O Brāhmaṇa, die fünf Eheformen, beginnend mit Prājāpatya, werden getadelt. Doch wenn die früheren (bevorzugten) Formen nicht möglich sind, soll der Weise die späteren Alternativen wählen.

Word by Word

• प्राजापत्यादयः: Prājāpatya etc. (the later types)
• प्राजापत्यादयः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्यादि (प्रातिपदिक) = प्राजापत्य + आदि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘प्राजापत्य-आदि’ (Prājāpatya and the rest)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: सम्बोधन (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवाहाः: marriages
• विवाहाः: कर्ता (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: विशेषणार्थ (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• गर्हिताः: are censured
• गर्हिताः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गर्ह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘censured/condemned’; विधेय-विशेषण (of विवाहाः)

• अभावेषु: in (cases of) absence
• अभावेषु: अधिकरण (Locative condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; शर्त/परिस्थिति (in absences)

• तु: but
• तु: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (but/however)

• पूर्वेषाम्: of the earlier (ones)
• पूर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of implied ‘विवाहानाम्’)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/indeed)

• परान्: the later (ones)
• परान्: कर्म (Object, ellipsis)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of implied ‘विवाहान्’)

• बुधः: the wise person
• बुधः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati

FAQs

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

It teaches dharmic discernment: one should prefer higher, purer standards, but when they are genuinely impossible, one may follow permitted alternatives rather than abandon righteous conduct altogether.

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

Indirectly, it supports bhakti by stabilizing the householder’s life through regulated dharma; a disciplined, lawful life becomes a foundation for worship, vows, and sustained devotion to Vishnu.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharma-śāstra reasoning—how rites are graded and how to apply exceptions (apavāda) when ideal prescriptions cannot be met.