Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15

The Explanation of Sandhyā and Related Daily Observances

Saṅdhyā-ādi Nitya-karma-Vidhi

Devanagari script

स्नातुं यायान्निम्नगादौ कीर्तयन्देवतागुणान् । गत्वा तीर्थं नमस्कृत्य स्नानीयं च निधाय वै ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

snātuṃ yāyānnimnagādau kīrtayandevatāguṇān | gatvā tīrthaṃ namaskṛtya snānīyaṃ ca nidhāya vai || 15 ||

Translation

Zum Baden soll man zu einem Fluss oder einem anderen tiefer gelegenen Wasserlauf gehen und dabei die Tugenden der Gottheiten besingen. Am tīrtha (heiligen Übergang) angekommen, erweise man Ehrfurcht und lege dann die Badeutensilien ordnungsgemäß nieder.

Word by Word

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: प्रयोजन (Prayojana/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to bathe’

• यायात्: should go
• यायात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• निम्नगादौ: in a river etc. (at a river)
• निम्नगादौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निम्नगा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘आदि’ as locative-ending form meaning ‘etc./and the like’ in sense of ‘in a river etc.’

• कीर्तयन्: praising/reciting
• कीर्तयन्: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवतागुणान्: the qualities of the deity
• देवतागुणान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता-गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: देवतायाः गुणाः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having gone’

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred ford/place (tīrtha)
• तीर्थम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed/saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्-कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) from ‘नमस्करोति’, ‘having saluted’

• स्नानीयम्: bathing requisites (bath item)
• स्नानीयम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having placed/kept’

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/assurance)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a Vedāṅga-oriented ritual context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Devatā
• Tīrtha

FAQs

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

It frames tīrtha-snāna as both an outer act of purification and an inner act of remembrance—approaching the water while praising divine qualities, then honoring the tīrtha with reverence before beginning the rite.

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

Bhakti appears through kīrtana—reciting the glories (guṇas) of the deities while going to bathe—turning a routine ritual action into God-centered remembrance and praise.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual discipline and sequence (prayoga-krama): approach the watercourse, perform devotional recitation, salute the tīrtha, and then arrange the snāna-items—an applied form of dharma-śāstric/kalpa-style procedure.