Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

उपासनाग्निमाधाय स्वगृह्योक्तविधानतः । सामाय च पितृमते स्वधा नम इतीरयेत् ॥ ४८ ॥

Transliteration

upāsanāgnimādhāya svagṛhyoktavidhānataḥ | sāmāya ca pitṛmate svadhā nama itīrayet || 48 ||

Translation

Nachdem man das Upāsanā-Feuer gemäß der im eigenen Gṛhya-sūtra genannten Vorschrift entzündet hat, soll man im den Pitṛs gewidmeten Ritus das Mantra sprechen: „svadhā, namaḥ“.

Word by Word

• उपासनाग्निम्: the worship-fire (household fire for daily worship)
• उपासनाग्निम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपासन + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘उपासनायाः अग्निः’

• आधाय: having established
• आधाय: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle); ‘having placed/established’

• स्वगृह्योक्तविधानतः: according to the procedure stated in one’s Gṛhya (domestic) tradition
• स्वगृह्योक्तविधानतः: Hetu/Prakara (हेतु/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व + गृह्य + उक्त + विधान + तस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb ‘-तः’ = ‘according to/from’); समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष) ‘स्वगृह्ये उक्तं विधानं’ इत्यस्य ‘विधानतः’

• सामाय: for the Sāman (Sāma-veda chant)
• सामाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), चतुर्थी (dative/4th), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पितृमते: for (the rite) pertaining to the ancestors
• पितृमते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), चतुर्थी (dative/4th), एकवचन (singular); मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण ‘pitṛmat’ = ‘connected with the Pitṛs’

• स्वधा: svadhā (ritual call)
• स्वधा: Mantra (मन्त्र/उच्चारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: मन्त्रपद/निपातवत् अव्यय (ritual exclamation used in Pitṛ-offerings)

• नमः: obeisance
• नमः: Mantra (मन्त्र/उच्चारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable interjection in mantra); मूलतः नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक ‘नमस्’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ईरयेत्: should utter/recite
• ईरयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईरय् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Pitrs

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that ancestral rites (pitṛ-karman) should be performed with scriptural precision—establishing the sacred fire correctly and invoking the Pitṛs through the specific formula “svadhā, namaḥ,” linking devotion with disciplined dharma.

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

Bhakti here appears as reverent obedience to sacred procedure: honoring the lineage and the unseen order through mantra and fire-offering is a devotional act that purifies the performer and supports dharmic living.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual science) is central: the verse explicitly directs following one’s Gṛhya-sūtra (domestic ritual manual) and the correct mantra-utterance for pitṛ rites.