Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 93

The Exposition of the Dvādaśī Vow for the Twelve Months

Dvādaśī-vrata-nirṇaya and Mahā-dvādaśī Lakṣaṇas

Devanagari script

श्रीनारद उवाच । कीदृशं लक्षणं ब्रह्मन्नेतासां किं फलं तथा । तत्सर्वं मे समाचक्ष्व याश्चन्याः पुण्यदायिकाः ॥ ९३ ॥

Transliteration

śrīnārada uvāca | kīdṛśaṃ lakṣaṇaṃ brahmannetāsāṃ kiṃ phalaṃ tathā | tatsarvaṃ me samācakṣva yāścanyāḥ puṇyadāyikāḥ || 93 ||

Translation

Śrī Nārada dit : «Ô brahmane, quels sont les signes distinctifs de ces observances, et quel phala (fruit spirituel) donnent-elles ? Explique-moi tout cela—ainsi que d’autres pratiques qui confèrent du mérite».

Word by Word

• śrī-nāradaḥ: Śrī Nārada
• śrī-nāradaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: ‘glorious Nārada’

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• kīdṛśam: of what kind
• kīdṛśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīdṛśa (प्रातिपदिक; interrogative adjective)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); interrogative adjective qualifying lakṣaṇam

• lakṣaṇam: characteristic, mark
• lakṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म; asked-about object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• brahman: O Brahmin
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Sambodhana (vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• etāsām: of these
• etāsām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• kim: what
• kim: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक; interrogative pronoun)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा)/Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); here as interrogative with phalam

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (कर्म; asked-about object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• tathā: and also
• tathā: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya (‘and also’)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun referring to the matters asked

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); adjective qualifying tat

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी) / Caturthī (4th/चतुर्थी) Ekavacana (एकवचन); enclitic; here as dative sense ‘to me’

• sam-ācakṣva: tell, explain
• sam-ācakṣva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√cakṣ (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्, imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd/मध्यमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• yāḥ: which (those)
• yāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; relative pronoun)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• anyāḥ: other
• anyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying (implied) dvādaśyaḥ

• puṇya-dāyikāḥ: merit-bestowing
• puṇya-dāyikāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + dāyikā (प्रातिपदिक; from √dā ‘to give’)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: puṇyasya dāyikāḥ = ‘merit-giving’ qualifying (implied) dvādaśyaḥ

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvadashi observances (the set just mentioned) and ‘other merit-giving practices’ (unspecified)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: jijnasa (inquisitive/shanta)

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Brahmin (addressed teacher)

FAQs

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

It frames a dharma-centered inquiry: Nārada asks for the defining signs (lakṣaṇa) and spiritual outcomes (phala) of certain merit-giving observances, emphasizing that practice should be understood by both its proper form and its result.

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

Indirectly: by seeking clarity on which practices truly yield spiritual fruit, the verse supports informed, disciplined devotion—where bhakti is guided by right knowledge of dharmic observances and their intended outcomes.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse highlights the method of dharma-śāstric analysis—identifying lakṣaṇa (criteria/definitions) and phala (results). While no single Vedāṅga is named, it aligns with the systematic, rule-and-result approach used in ritual and textual interpretation.