Shloka 1

Mohinī-prashna

The Question about Mohinī

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । यत्त्वया व्याहृतं वाक्यं ममेदं गौतमेरितम् । मंदरे पर्वतश्रेष्ठे हरिवासरभोजनम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

rājovāca | yattvayā vyāhṛtaṃ vākyaṃ mamedaṃ gautameritam | maṃdare parvataśreṣṭhe harivāsarabhojanam || 1 ||

Translation

The King said: “The words you have just spoken to me were taught by Gautama. They concern the vrata of taking food on Hari’s sacred day at Mandara, the foremost of mountains.”

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect tense (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular, Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (कर्म/object of implied ‘know/mention’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; relative pronoun (यद्)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (करण/agent-instrument: by you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• vyāhṛtam: uttered / spoken
• vyāhṛtam: Karma (कर्म/object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ā-hṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त); Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with vākyaṃ

• vākyam: statement / words
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (कर्ता/predicate demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• gautama-īritam: spoken by Gautama
• gautama-īritam: Karta (कर्ता/predicate qualifier of idam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gautama (प्रातिपदिक) + īrita (कृदन्त, √īr/ईर् + क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; तत्पुरुषः (gautamena īritam)

• maṃdare: on/in Mandara
• maṃdare: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃdara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• parvata-śreṣṭhe: on the best of mountains
• parvata-śreṣṭhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः पर्वतः)

• hari-vāsara-bhojanam: eating on Hari’s day (Ekādaśī/Viṣṇu’s day)
• hari-vāsara-bhojanam: Karma (कर्म/object/topic; elliptical)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsara (प्रातिपदिक) + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) or Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुषः (hareḥ vāsare bhojanam)

Speaker

The King (Rājā)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Hari-vāsara (Vishnu’s sacred day observance; likely Ekadashi-related but not explicit in this verse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Mandara
• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

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

It frames the topic as an authoritative dharma teaching—linking a sacred place (Mandara) with a sacred time (Harivāsara) and a vrata-related rule (bhojana), emphasizing that devotion to Hari is practiced through disciplined observance.

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

Bhakti here is not only emotion but regulated practice: honoring Hari’s day with proper conduct around food/fasting, rooted in guru–ṛṣi transmission (Gautama’s instruction) and applied in a tīrtha context.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to ritual discipline and calendrical sacred timing (vrata-kāla), aligning with Vedāṅga concerns such as Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Jyotiṣa (sacred days/tithis like Ekādaśī) as the background for Harivāsara observance.