Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

The Exposition of the Dvādaśī Vow for the Twelve Months

Dvādaśī-vrata-nirṇaya and Mahā-dvādaśī Lakṣaṇas

Devanagari script

मधुरान्नेन तान्पूज्य पृथग्गंधादिकैः क्रमात् । तेभ्यो वासांसि दंडांश्च ब्रह्मसूत्राणि मुद्रिकाः ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

madhurānnena tānpūjya pṛthaggaṃdhādikaiḥ kramāt | tebhyo vāsāṃsi daṃḍāṃśca brahmasūtrāṇi mudrikāḥ || 20 ||

Translation

Having honored them with sweet food, one should then, in due order, offer separately perfumes and the like. One should also give them garments, staffs, sacred threads (brahma-sūtra), and rings.

Word by Word

• madhura-annena: with sweet food
• madhura-annena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter; anna), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारयः: 'मधुरम् अन्नम्'

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural); सर्वनाम

• pūjya: having honored
• pūjya: Kriyā (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धाातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप्/तुमुन्-न; here: क्त्वा-समर्थ 'pūjya' = कृत्वा-भाव (having honored); अव्ययभावेन (gerund-like)

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• gandha-ādikaiḥ: with perfumes etc.
• gandha-ādikaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural); 'गन्ध-आदि' = 'perfume and the like' (ādi-tatpuruṣa)

• kramāt: in due order
• kramāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे 'in order/stepwise'

• tebhyaḥ: to them
• tebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), बहुवचन (plural)

• vāsāṃsi: garments
• vāsāṃsi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (plural)

• daṃḍān: staffs
• daṃḍān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• brahma-sūtrāṇi: sacred threads
• brahma-sūtrāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + sūtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'ब्रह्मणः सूत्राणि' (sacred threads)

• mudrikāḥ: rings
• mudrikāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudrikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); (items to be given—elliptical with 'dadyāt')

Speaker

Narada (teaching within an instructional/ritual context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

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

It emphasizes dharmic hospitality and ritual completeness: honoring worthy recipients first with food and then with proper upacāras and dāna, done in orderly sequence (krama), purifies the act and the giver.

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

While primarily ritual, the verse reflects bhakti through reverential service—offering food, fragrance, and gifts as an expression of devotion and respect, treating the honored recipients as embodiments of sacred presence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights Kalpa (ritual procedure): the prescribed order (krama) of upacāras and the appropriate items of dāna such as vastra and yajñopavīta.