Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 133
The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga
किं बहूक्तेन सर्वेष्टदायकं तर्पणं त्विदम् । ससितोपलधारोष्णदुग्धबुद्ध्या जलेन वै ॥ १३३ ॥
kiṃ bahūktena sarveṣṭadāyakaṃ tarpaṇaṃ tvidam | sasitopaladhāroṣṇadugdhabuddhyā jalena vai || 133 ||
À quoi bon en dire davantage ? Ce tarpaṇa accorde tous les buts désirés. En vérité, on l’accomplit avec de l’eau, en la contemplant comme un courant de clarté lunaire, comme du lait tiède et comme un flot de cristal blanc.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that tarpaṇa becomes powerfully fruitful when performed with correct inner contemplation—water is ritually “transformed” by bhāvanā into auspicious, nourishing, and luminous offerings that satisfy the recipients and yield desired results.
By emphasizing intention and reverent visualization, it aligns ritual action with inward devotion—offering water as if it were moonlight or milk expresses loving care and sacred attention, which is central to bhakti-oriented practice.
It highlights prayoga (ritual application) and manasa-bhāvanā (prescribed mental construction) as part of technical ritual discipline—showing that correct procedure includes both external act (jala-tarpaṇa) and internal cognition (buddhi/bhāvanā).