Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 64

The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months

Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana

Devanagari script

अर्कस्य च बदर्याश्च सप्त सप्त दलानि वै । निधाय शिरसि स्नायात्सप्तजन्माघशांतये ॥ ६४ ॥

Transliteration

arkasya ca badaryāśca sapta sapta dalāni vai | nidhāya śirasi snāyātsaptajanmāghaśāṃtaye || 64 ||

Translation

Poniendo sobre la cabeza siete hojas de arka y siete hojas de badarī, debe uno bañarse; se dice que así se apaciguan los pecados acumulados a lo largo de siete nacimientos.

Word by Word

• अर्कस्य: of arka (sun-plant / arka leaves)
• अर्कस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• बदर्याः: of badarī (jujube)
• बदर्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बदरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; नपुंसकलिङ्गे ‘दलानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• सप्त: seven (each)
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; पुनरुक्त्या ‘seven and seven’ (each seven)

• दलानि: leaves
• दलानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (pl.)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + धा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having placed’

• शिरसि: on the head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (sg.)

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद

• सप्तजन्माघशांतये: for the pacification of sins of seven births
• सप्तजन्माघशांतये: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + जन्म + अघ + शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (sg.); तत्पुरुषसमासः: ‘सप्तजन्मनाम् अघानां शान्तये’

Speaker

Narada (instructional narration within a ritual context, traditionally framed in dialogue with Sanatkumara)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Bhāskarī/Rathā-saptamī context (implied)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Arka
• Badari

FAQs

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

It presents a prayāścitta-style purification: a ritual bath (snāna) performed with specific sacred leaves, intended to calm and remove accumulated pāpa (sin), symbolically extending across seven lifetimes.

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

While the verse is primarily ritual, it supports bhakti indirectly by emphasizing inner and outer purity; such purification practices are traditionally undertaken to become fit for worship, japa, and sustained devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects kalpa (ritual procedure) in practice—using specified materials and a defined count (seven and seven leaves) within a snāna rite as a structured purificatory observance.