Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40

Gṛhastha-praveśa: Vivāha-bheda, Ācāra-śauca, Śrāddha-kāla, and Vaiṣṇava-lakṣaṇa

Devanagari script

अयने विषुवे चैव युगादिषु चतुर्ष्वपि । दर्शे च प्रेतपक्षे च श्राद्धं कुर्याद्गृही द्विजः ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

ayane viṣuve caiva yugādiṣu caturṣvapi | darśe ca pretapakṣe ca śrāddhaṃ kuryādgṛhī dvijaḥ || 40 ||

Translation

Aux ayana (solstices), aux viṣuva (équinoxes), aux quatre commencements yugādi, au darśa (jour de nouvelle lune) et durant le pretapakṣa (quinzaine des défunts), le dvija maître de maison doit accomplir le Śrāddha.

Word by Word

• ayane: During the solstice (Uttarayana/Dakshinayana)
• ayane: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• viṣuve: During the equinox
• viṣuve: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• ca: And
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• eva: Indeed/Only
• eva: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (Emphasis)

• yugādiṣu: On the Yugadi days (anniversaries of Yugas)
• yugādiṣu: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yugādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• caturṣu: Four
• caturṣu: Visheshana (qualifying Yugadi)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• api: Also/Even
• api: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/Particle

• darśe: On the new moon day (Amavasya)
• darśe: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• ca: And
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• pretapakṣe: During the fortnight of the ancestors (Mahalaya)
• pretapakṣe: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pretapakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• ca: And
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• śrāddham: Shraddha ritual
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• kuryāt: Should perform
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhilin Lakara (Potential Mood), Prathama Purusha, Singular

• gṛhī: The householder
• gṛhī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dvijaḥ: Twice-born
• dvijaḥ: Visheshana (qualifying gṛhī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Sage Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Śrāddha (parva-śrāddha / kāla-śrāddha)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Pitrs

FAQs

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

It frames Śrāddha as a time-aligned duty (kāla-dharma): performing offerings to the ancestors at major cosmic/calendar junctions is presented as a disciplined way to sustain pitṛ-tarpaṇa and household righteousness.

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

Though primarily ritual (karma-kāṇḍa), it supports bhakti indirectly by purifying the householder’s life through faithful observance of prescribed sacred times, which steadies the mind for devotion and remembrance of Dharma.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It relies on Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa-style calendrics: identifying ayana (solstices), viṣuva (equinox), darśa (amāvāsyā), and yugādi observances as ritual triggers for Śrāddha.