Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27

Śrāddha-prayoga: Niyama, Brāhmaṇa-parīkṣā, Kutapa-kāla, Tithi-nyāya, and Vaiṣṇava-phala

Devanagari script

क्षयाहस्य तिथिर्या तु ह्यपराह्णद्वये यदि । पूर्वा क्षये तु कर्त्तव्या वृद्वौ कार्या तथोत्तरा ॥ २७ ॥

Transliteration

kṣayāhasya tithiryā tu hyaparāhṇadvaye yadi | pūrvā kṣaye tu karttavyā vṛdvau kāryā tathottarā || 27 ||

Translation

Wenn an einem Tag des Titthi-Verlustes (kṣaya) die betreffende Mondtithi beide Nachmittagsabschnitte umfasst, dann soll im Falle des Verlustes die Observanz für die frühere Tithi vollzogen werden; im Falle der Tithi-Zunahme (vṛddhi) jedoch für die spätere.

Word by Word

• क्षयाहस्य: of the day of kṣaya (loss/omission day)
• क्षयाहस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षयाह (प्रातिपदिक; क्षय + अहन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्षयस्य अहः)

• तिथिः: the lunar day (tithi)
• तिथिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: विशेषण (relative qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्धक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्धक (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• अपराह्णद्वये: in the two afternoon periods
• अपराह्णद्वये: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्णद्वय (प्रातिपदिक; अपराह्ण + द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अपराह्णयोः द्वयम्)

• यदि: if
• यदि: सम्बन्धक (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-समुच्चय/शर्त (conditional conjunction)

• पूर्वा: the earlier (one)
• पूर्वा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तिथेः)

• क्षये: at the kṣaya (omission)
• क्षये: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्धक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• कर्त्तव्या: should be performed
• कर्त्तव्या: विधेय (Predicative; obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• वृद्वौ: both being ‘vṛddhi’ (extended)
• वृद्वौ: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण (तिथ्योः/पूर्वोत्तरयोः)

• कार्या: is to be done
• कार्या: विधेय (Predicative; obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/कार्य), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उत्तरा: the later (one)
• उत्तरा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तिथेः)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the technical rules of tithi and ritual timing)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It protects the integrity (śuddhi) of vrata and pūjā by teaching correct tithi-nirṇaya, ensuring devotion is offered at the scripturally intended time rather than by guesswork.

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

Bhakti is expressed through disciplined observance; by aligning worship with the correct tithi (even during kṣaya/vṛddhi anomalies), the devotee’s intention and practice remain faithful to dharma.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa—specifically, the rule for deciding whether the earlier or later tithi governs an observance when a tithi is lost (kṣaya) or extended (vṛddhi), using aparāhṇa as the deciding window.