Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40

Dīpa-vidhi-vyākhyānam

Procedure for Lamp-Offering to Hanumān

Devanagari script

रुद्रैकविंशपिंडांश्च त्रिधा मंडलमानकम् । लघुमानं स्मृतं पंच सप्त वा नव वा तथा ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

rudraikaviṃśapiṃḍāṃśca tridhā maṃḍalamānakam | laghumānaṃ smṛtaṃ paṃca sapta vā nava vā tathā || 40 ||

Translation

Veintiún ‘Rudra’ en forma de bolitas (piṇḍa) constituyen una medida de maṇḍala, establecida con división triple. La medida ‘ligera’ (laghu) se recuerda como compuesta de cinco—o bien de siete, o de nueve—de esas mismas unidades.

Word by Word

• रुद्र-एक-विंश-पिण्डान्: Rudra-units (lumps) numbering twenty-one
• रुद्र-एक-विंश-पिण्डान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + एक + विंशति + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (संख्यापूर्वक-निर्देशः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रिधा: in three ways / threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• मण्डल-मानकम्: the measure for the circle/diagram
• मण्डल-मानकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल + मानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मण्डलस्य मानकम्)

• लघु-मानम्: the small measure
• लघु-मानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघु + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (लघुं मानम्)

• स्मृतम्: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘is said/remembered’

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विकल्पे गणनासूचकः

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विकल्पे गणनासूचकः

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विकल्पे गणनासूचकः

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the technical standards of māna/measurement within Vedāṅga-oriented science)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that Vedic practice is not only devotional but also precise: correct, tradition-backed measures (māna) safeguard the integrity of ritual and sacred procedure.

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

Indirectly: devotion is strengthened when worship and offerings are performed carefully and according to śāstra; accurate māna supports disciplined, reverent practice rather than casual improvisation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A technical metrological rule: how counted units (piṇḍas) relate to a maṇḍala-standard and how a smaller (laghu) scale may be set as 5, 7, or 9 units—useful for ritual calibration and traditional computations.