Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

The Narration of the Trayodaśī Vow Observed Throughout the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

मधौ शुक्लत्रयोदश्यां मदनं चन्दनात्मकम् । कृत्वा संपूज्य यत्नेन वीजेयव्द्यजनेन च ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

madhau śuklatrayodaśyāṃ madanaṃ candanātmakam | kṛtvā saṃpūjya yatnena vījeyavdyajanena ca || 2 ||

Translation

Au jour de Trayodaśī de la quinzaine claire du mois de Madhu, qu’on façonne Madana, la divinité de l’amour, en bois de santal; qu’on le vénère avec soin et effort, puis qu’on l’évente avec un éventail rituel.

Word by Word

• मधौ: in Madhu (spring month)
• मधौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); मासवाचक (month-name)

• शुक्ल-त्रयोदश्याम्: on the bright (fortnight) thirteenth
• शुक्ल-त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); शुक्लपक्षसम्बद्धा त्रयोदशी (locative of 'on the bright thirteenth')

• मदनम्: Madana (Kāma)
• मदनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चन्दन-आत्मकम्: made of sandalwood
• चन्दन-आत्मकम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्मसमानााधिकरण/Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) of मदनम्

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• सम्पूज्य: having worshipped well
• सम्पूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-अर्थक अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), 'having duly worshipped'

• यत्नेन: with effort/carefully
• यत्नेन: Karana (करण/Means; manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• वीजयेव्: should fan
• वीजयेव्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); पाठभेद/लिप्यन्तरदोषसम्भवः (IAST corrupt: vījeyav-)

• व्यजनेन: with a fan
• व्यजनेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narada (instructional narration in vrata-vidhi context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Trayodaśī-vrata (Madhu-śukla Trayodaśī observance; Kāma/Madana-pūjā)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Madana
• Candana

FAQs

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

It prescribes a tithi-specific vrata act: crafting a sandalwood form of Madana and honoring it with full worship and upachāras, emphasizing disciplined, time-bound ritual as a means of dharmic merit.

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

Bhakti is expressed through attentive service (saṃpūjā and vyajana-sevā). The verse highlights devotion as careful, embodied worship—offering presence, reverence, and ritual hospitality to the deity-form.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Jyotiṣa (tithi/time-reckoning) are implicit: the observance is fixed to śukla-trayodaśī and includes specific upachāras like fanning with a vyajana.