Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 118

The Exposition of the Dvādaśī Vow for the Twelve Months

Dvādaśī-vrata-nirṇaya and Mahā-dvādaśī Lakṣaṇas

Devanagari script

इति श्रीबृहन्नारदीयपुराणे बृहदुपाख्याने पूर्वभागे चतुर्थपादे द्वादशमासस्य द्वादशीव्रतनिरूपणं नामैकविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ॥ १२१ ॥

Transliteration

iti śrībṛhannāradīyapurāṇe bṛhadupākhyāne pūrvabhāge caturthapāde dvādaśamāsasya dvādaśīvratanirūpaṇaṃ nāmaikaviṃśatyadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ || 121 ||

Translation

Ainsi s’achève, dans le Śrī Bṛhannāradīya Purāṇa, dans le Grand Récit, au Pūrva-bhāga (Section antérieure), dans le quatrième Pāda, le cent vingt et unième chapitre intitulé : « Exposé du vœu de Dvādaśī pour les douze mois ».

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative/closing particle): 'thus'

• śrī-bṛhat-nāradīya-purāṇe: in the Śrī Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa
• śrī-bṛhat-nāradīya-purāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + bṛhat (प्रातिपदिक) + nāradīya (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (title-compound): 'in the Śrī Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa'

• bṛhat-upākhyāne: in the great sub-narrative
• bṛhat-upākhyāne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhat (प्रातिपदिक) + upākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः: 'in the great upākhyāna (sub-narrative/section)'

• pūrva-bhāge: in the former part
• pūrva-bhāge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: 'in the former part'

• caturtha-pāde: in the fourth section
• caturtha-pāde: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: 'in the fourth pāda/quarter/section'

• dvādaśa-māsasya: of the twelve months
• dvādaśa-māsasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: 'of the twelve months'

• dvādaśī-vrata-nirūpaṇam: the exposition of the Dvādaśī vow
• dvādaśī-vrata-nirūpaṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + nirūpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: 'the exposition of the Dvādaśī-vow'

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable marker): 'named/called'

• eka-viṃśati-adhika-śata-tamaḥ: one-hundred-and-twenty-first
• eka-viṃśati-adhika-śata-tamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + tama (प्रातिपदिक/प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (numeral/ordinal compound): 'the one-hundred-and-twenty-first' (i.e., 121st)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (colophon/narrative editorial closure)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśī-vrata for the twelve months (chapter title/summary)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

FAQs

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

This is a colophon marking the completion of a chapter, preserving the Purāṇa’s textual integrity and highlighting that the chapter’s focus is the disciplined observance of the Dvādaśī-vrata across the twelve months.

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

Indirectly: by naming the topic as a Dvādaśī-vrata exposition, it frames devotion as regular, calendar-based Vaiṣṇava practice—bhakti expressed through vowed observance and ritual discipline.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalā/ritual timing and calendrical discipline are implied through “twelve months” and a monthly vow cycle—practical dharma grounded in time-reckoning used for vrata observance.