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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Śrāddha-prayoga: Niyama, Brāhmaṇa-parīkṣā, Kutapa-kāla, Tithi-nyāya, and Vaiṣṇava-phala

Devanagari script

अपराह्णः पितॄणां तु दत्तः कालः स्वयंभुवा । तत्काल एव दातव्यं कव्यं तस्माद्द्विजोत्तमैः ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

aparāhṇaḥ pitṝṇāṃ tu dattaḥ kālaḥ svayaṃbhuvā | tatkāla eva dātavyaṃ kavyaṃ tasmāddvijottamaiḥ || 23 ||

Translation

L’après-midi (aparāhṇa) a été fixé par Svayambhū (Brahmā) comme le temps qui revient aux Pitṛ. Ainsi, les meilleurs des deux-fois-nés doivent offrir le kavya—l’offrande aux ancêtres—précisément à cette heure.

Word by Word
अपराह्णःthe afternoon
अपराह्णः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular
पितॄणाम्of the ancestors
पितॄणाम्:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural
तुindeed / but
तु:
सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), विरोध/विशेष (contrast/emphasis)
दत्तःgiven
दत्तः:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootदा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — agreeing with ‘कालः’
कालःtime
कालः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular
स्वयंभुवाby Svayambhū (Brahmā)
स्वयंभुवा:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument; agent in passive sense)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular
तत्at that
तत्:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — used adjectivally with ‘काले’ implied
कालेtime
काले:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
TypeNoun
Rootकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular (implied with तत्)
एवonly / precisely
एव:
सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)
दातव्यम्should be given
दातव्यम्:
विधेय (Obligation predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootदा (धातु) + तव्यत् (प्रत्यय) → दातव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्तव्यता-वाचक कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘should be given’ (impersonal)
कव्यम्the ancestral offering (kavya)
कव्यम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootकव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular; object/thing to be offered
तस्मात्therefore
तस्मात्:
अपादान/हेतु (Reason/Ablative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (ablatival sense ‘therefore/from that’)
द्विजोत्तमैःby the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
द्विजोत्तमैः:
कर्ता (Karta/Agent; in instruction)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः’), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural
Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities
S
Svayambhu (Brahma)
P
Pitrs

FAQs

It sanctifies Pitṛ-yajña by fixing a divinely ordained time (aparāhṇa) for ancestral offerings, emphasizing that correct timing (kāla) preserves the rite’s intended spiritual efficacy and the Pitṛs’ satisfaction.

Though focused on Śrāddha, it supports bhakti through disciplined dharma: honoring ancestors as a sacred duty performed with reverence and exactness, which purifies the performer and aligns life with divine order.

It highlights Kāla-nirṇaya (ritual time determination), connected to Jyotiṣa/Vedāṅga principles used to identify aparāhṇa for proper performance of Śrāddha and kavya-dāna.

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