Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

Śrāddha-prayoga: Niyama, Brāhmaṇa-parīkṣā, Kutapa-kāla, Tithi-nyāya, and Vaiṣṇava-phala

Devanagari script

क्षयाहस्य तिथैर्विप्र यदि दंडमितिर्भवेत् । विद्धापराह्णि कायां तु श्राद्धं कार्यं विजानता ॥ २६ ॥

Transliteration

kṣayāhasya tithairvipra yadi daṃḍamitirbhavet | viddhāparāhṇi kāyāṃ tu śrāddhaṃ kāryaṃ vijānatā || 26 ||

Translation

Oh brāhmaṇa, si en un día de kṣayāha (pérdida de tithi) las tithis duran sólo la medida de un daṇḍa, entonces quien conoce la norma debe realizar el śrāddha en la tarde, durante la porción viddhā (superpuesta).

Word by Word

• क्षयाहस्य: of the day of decay/waning (kṣayāha)
• क्षयाहस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय + अहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘क्षयस्य अहः’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• तिथैः: by the lunar dates (tithis)
• तिथैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: सम्बन्ध (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-सम्बन्धक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• दण्डमितिः: a measure of one daṇḍa (time-measure)
• दण्डमितिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + मिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘दण्ड-परिमाणम्’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद; ‘would be/occur’

• विद्ध: having begun / having been reached
• विद्ध: अधिकरण (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → विद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — used in locative absolute sense with ‘अपराह्णि’ (‘when afternoon is ‘pierced’/entered)

• अपराह्णि: in the afternoon
• अपराह्णि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• कायाम्: in the body/person
• कायाम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; here ‘in the body/person’ (contextual)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेष/विरोध (emphasis/contrast)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular

• कार्यम्: should be performed
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तव्यता-वाचक कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘should be done’

• विजानता: by one who knows/understands
• विजानता: कर्ता (Karta/Agent; in instruction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय) → विजानत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by one who knows’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on śrāddha timing rules)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

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

It stresses that ancestral rites (śrāddha) must be aligned with precise sacred time (kāla); correct timing safeguards the rite’s efficacy and honors the pitṛs according to dharma.

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

Indirectly: by teaching careful, faithful observance of dharmic rites, it cultivates śraddhā (reverent trust) and disciplined devotion—foundational attitudes that support Vishnu-bhakti in the Purāṇic worldview.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology/kalā-nirṇaya): deciding ritual timing using tithi behavior (kṣaya), aparāhṇa (afternoon window), and viddhā (overlap) considerations, including very short ‘daṇḍa’-length tithis.