Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

तपःस्वाध्यायसंतोषाः शौचं च हरिपूजनम् । संध्योपासनमुख्याश्च नियमाः परिकीर्त्तिताः ॥ ८७ ॥

Transliteration

tapaḥsvādhyāyasaṃtoṣāḥ śaucaṃ ca haripūjanam | saṃdhyopāsanamukhyāśca niyamāḥ parikīrttitāḥ || 87 ||

Translation

Tapas (Askese), Svādhyāya (Selbststudium), Santoṣa (Zufriedenheit), Śauca (Reinheit), die Verehrung Haris und—als das Vornehmste—die Befolgung der Sandhyā-Riten: dies alles wird als Niyamas (Observanzen) verkündet.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Singular; listed item in plural sense via coordination

• svādhyāya: self-study
• svādhyāya: Karta (कर्ता) (member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Singular; listed item

• saṃtoṣāḥ: contentment(s)
• saṃtoṣāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃtoṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Plural; completes the coordinated set with preceding items

• śaucam: purity/cleanliness
• śaucam: Karta (कर्ता) (member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय) ‘and’

• hari-pūjanam: worship of Hari
• hari-pūjanam: Karta (कर्ता) (member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Singular; Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी): ‘hareḥ pūjanam’

• saṃdhyā-upāsana-mukhyāḥ: with twilight-worship as the chief (among them)
• saṃdhyā-upāsana-mukhyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of ‘niyamāḥ’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक) + upāsana (प्रातिपदिक) + mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Plural; Tatpuruṣa: ‘saṃdhyāyāḥ upāsanaṃ (yatra) mukhyam’ → ‘chief among (them) is twilight-worship’ (elliptic)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय) ‘and/also’

• niyamāḥ: the niyamas (observances)
• niyamāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Plural

• parikīrttitāḥ: are proclaimed
• parikīrttitāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (धातु) + pari- + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Masculine Nominative Plural; agrees with ‘niyamāḥ’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the dharma-yoga instruction flow)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It defines core niyamas—daily disciplines that purify body and mind—culminating in devotion to Hari and steady practice like Sandhyā worship, which supports inner steadiness and dharmic living.

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

Bhakti is made practical through haripūjana (worship of Vishnu) integrated with ethical-spiritual observances (tapas, śauca, saṃtoṣa), showing devotion is sustained by disciplined daily life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to ritual discipline via saṃdhyopāsana (a daily rite tied to mantra and proper recitation), aligning with Vedic practice supported by śikṣā (phonetics) and kalpa (ritual procedure).