Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 77

Mantra-Māhātmya and Sādhana of Kārtavīryārjuna

Nyāsa, Yantra, Homa, and Dīpa-Vrata

Devanagari script

एका तिस्रोऽथवा पंचसप्ताद्या विषमा अपि । तिथिमानादासहस्रं तंतुसंख्या विनिर्मिता ॥ ७७ ॥

Transliteration

ekā tisro'thavā paṃcasaptādyā viṣamā api | tithimānādāsahasraṃ taṃtusaṃkhyā vinirmitā || 77 ||

Translation

Ob es eins ist, oder drei, oder auch eine ungerade Zahl beginnend mit fünf oder sieben—auf Grundlage des Maßes eines Tithi (Mondtages) wird die Fadenzahl (tantu-saṅkhyā) als tausend und so weiter festgelegt.

Word by Word

• ekā: one
• ekā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tisraḥ: three
• tisraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• athavā: or
• athavā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (विकल्पबोधक अव्यय)

• paṃca-sapta-ādyāḥ: five, seven, etc.
• paṃca-sapta-ādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); द्वन्द्व: 'five, seven, etc.'

• viṣamāḥ: uneven/odd
• viṣamāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), inclusive/emphatic

• tithi-mānāt: from the tithi-measure
• tithi-mānāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक) + māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: 'from the measure of tithi'

• ā-sahasram: up to a thousand
• ā-sahasram: Parimāṇa/Avadhi (अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (अव्यय उपसर्ग/प्रत्ययार्थ) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prepositional indeclinable ā used with accusative to denote limit (पर्यन्तबोधक अव्यय) + sahasram: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• taṃtu-saṃkhyā: thread-count
• taṃtu-saṃkhyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taṃtu (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: 'count/number of threads'

• vinirmitā: is constructed/formed
• vinirmitā: Kriyā (क्रिया/predication)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-nir-√mā (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicative with taṃtusaṃkhyā

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

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 emphasizes that dharma and ritual observances are to be aligned with precise Vedic timekeeping—tithi-based measurement is treated as a disciplined science supporting correct practice.

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

Bhakti practices (vratas, worship timings) become effective and tradition-consistent when performed at the proper tithi; the verse supports devotion through accurate calendrical discipline rather than describing emotion-based devotion directly.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedanga Jyotisha: computing and applying tithi measures to derive a technical count (tantu-saṅkhyā), used for scheduling/standardizing ritual procedure.