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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

Ekādaśī Vrata-Vidhi and the Galava–Bhadrashīla Itihāsa

Dharmakīrti before Yama

परान्नलोलुपं चैव परस्त्रीनिरतं तथा । व्रतोपवासनिरतो वाङ्मात्रेणापि नार्चयेत् ॥ २८ ॥

parānnalolupaṃ caiva parastrīnirataṃ tathā | vratopavāsanirato vāṅmātreṇāpi nārcayet || 28 ||

One should not worship the Lord, not even by mere speech, if one is greedy for another’s food, addicted to another man’s wife, or absorbed only in vows and fasting without inner purity.

पर-अन्न-लोलुपम्one greedy for others’ food
पर-अन्न-लोलुपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + लोलुप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (accusative singular neuter adjective)
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
एवindeed/just
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
पर-स्त्री-निरतम्one devoted to another’s wife
पर-स्त्री-निरतम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (accusative singular neuter)
तथाlikewise/so
तथा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formउपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)
व्रत-उपवास-निरतःengaged in vows and fasting
व्रत-उपवास-निरतः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootव्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (nominative singular masculine)
वाक्-मात्रेणby mere words
वाक्-मात्रेण:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootवाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘वाक्’ + ‘मात्र’ = ‘केवल-वचन’ (instrumental singular)
अपिeven/also
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)
not
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
अर्चयेत्should worship
अर्चयेत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअर्च् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should worship’

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

It teaches that worship is not validated by ritual performance alone; without ethical restraint—freedom from greed and sexual misconduct—devotion becomes hollow and should not be offered even verbally.

Bhakti here is presented as character-based: true devotion requires inner discipline and moral purity, not just external practices like fasting or taking vows.

It aligns with Kalpa/ācāra principles (ritual eligibility and conduct): archana is meaningful only when supported by śauca (purity) and self-restraint, otherwise it is to be avoided.