Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मध्वक्तैः पायसैर्हुत्वा विमलादिसमन्विते । पूजयेद्वेष्णवे पीठे मूर्तिं संकल्प्य मूलतः ॥ ३७ ॥

Transliteration

madhvaktaiḥ pāyasairhutvā vimalādisamanvite | pūjayedveṣṇave pīṭhe mūrtiṃ saṃkalpya mūlataḥ || 37 ||

Translation

Nachdem man im Feuer Opfergaben aus Honigmischungen und süßem Milchreis (pāyasa) dargebracht hat, zusammen mit den reinen Begleitgaben, beginnend mit «Vimalā», soll man auf dem vaiṣṇavischen Altarsitz verehren, indem man zuerst den saṅkalpa festsetzt und die Gestalt der Gottheit von der Wurzel her anruft.

Word by Word

• मधु-अक्तैः: smeared with honey
• मधु-अक्तैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √अञ्ज्/अक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (मधुना अक्तैः)

• पायसैः: with rice-pudding offerings
• पायसैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• हुत्वा: having offered (into fire)
• हुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• विमल-आदि-समन्विते: in (a place) endowed with Vimalā and others
• विमल-आदि-समन्विते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √अन्वि/सम्+अन्वि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विमलादिभिः समन्विते)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वैष्णवे: Vaiṣṇava (pertaining to Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पीठे: on the pedestal/seat
• पीठे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मूर्तिम्: the image/form (deity)
• मूर्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• संकल्प्य: having conceived/visualized
• संकल्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु) उपसर्गः सम्-
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (Gerund)

• मूलतः: from the root / from the base / fundamentally
• मूलतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within ritual-technical exposition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that worship becomes effective when supported by disciplined ritual offering (homa with honey and sweet rice) and by a clear saṅkalpa that establishes the deity’s presence in the mūrti on a Vaiṣṇava altar.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent service: offering, invoking, and worshipping Viṣṇu with intentionality (saṅkalpa) and proper sacred setting (vaiṣṇava-pīṭha), showing devotion as both inner resolve and outer practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual procedure (kalpa-style practice): the sequence of homa offerings, required accompaniments, and the necessity of saṅkalpa and proper installation/worship of the deity’s form.