Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

Dvādaśī-vrata: Month-by-month Viṣṇu Worship and the Year-End Udyāpana

Devanagari script

पूर्वमानेन पयसा स्नापयेन्माधवं तदा । पुष्पगन्धाक्षतैरर्चेत्सावधानेन चेतसा ॥ ३२ ॥

Transliteration

pūrvamānena payasā snāpayenmādhavaṃ tadā | puṣpagandhākṣatairarcetsāvadhānena cetasā || 32 ||

Translation

Then one should bathe Mādhava with milk in the same prescribed measure as before, and, with an attentive and reverent mind, worship Him with flowers, fragrance, and akṣata—unbroken grains of rice.

Word by Word

• पूर्व-मानेन: with the previously prescribed measure
• पूर्व-मानेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पूर्वं मानम्’ = ‘the earlier/previous measure’

• पयसा: with milk
• पयसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (the deity)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच् causative: स्नापय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• माधवम्: Mādhava
• माधवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• पुष्प-गन्ध-अक्षतैः: with flowers, fragrance, and akṣata (unbroken rice)
• पुष्प-गन्ध-अक्षतैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + गन्ध + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (flowers, fragrances, and unbroken rice-grains)

• अर्चेत्: should worship
• अर्चेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स-अवधानेन: with attentiveness
• स-अवधानेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह/अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + अवधाना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘सह अवधानेन’ = ‘with attentiveness’; विशेषणम् (चेतसा)

• चेतसा: with the mind
• चेतसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (teaching ritual procedure, in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśī-vrata sequence (continuation; specific name not stated)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Madhava
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches that devotion is expressed through both correct ritual sequence (measured abhiṣeka with milk) and inner discipline—worship becomes fruitful when performed with a careful, collected mind.

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

Bhakti here is practical and embodied: serving Mādhava through bathing (snāna/abhiṣeka) and offerings (flowers, fragrance, akṣata) while maintaining sāvadhāna-cetas—steady attentiveness and reverence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual precision and prescribed measure (māna) reflect kalpa-style procedural discipline—how offerings are quantified and sequenced in pūjā/arcana practice.