Shloka 22

The Description of the Glory of Dvādaśī

Devanagari script

संकल्पपादपप्रख्या वेदवाक्योपमाथवा । द्वादशीं ये प्रपन्ना हि नरा नरवरोत्तम ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

saṃkalpapādapaprakhyā vedavākyopamāthavā | dvādaśīṃ ye prapannā hi narā naravarottama || 22 ||

Translation

Ô le meilleur des hommes, ceux qui prennent refuge dans la Dvādaśī et l’observent sont tels des arbres exauçant les vœux par leur ferme résolution, ou encore comparables aux paroles d’autorité des Veda.

Word by Word

• saṃkalpa-pādapa-prakhyāḥ: renowned like wish-fulfilling trees (kalpa-trees)
• saṃkalpa-pādapa-prakhyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃkalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + pādapa (प्रातिपदिक) + prakhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा) Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); bahuvacana-viśeṣaṇa of narāḥ

• veda-vākya-upamāḥ: comparable to Vedic statements
• veda-vākya-upamāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + upamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa of narāḥ

• atha: then / moreover
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक/transition)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; vikalpa (option/विकल्प) particle

• dvādaśīm: the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day/fast)
• dvādaśīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया) Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; relative pronoun

• prapannāḥ: having taken refuge / surrendered
• prapannāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√pad (धातु) → prapanna (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; kta-pratyaya (past passive participle) used adjectivally; agrees with narāḥ

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphasis/causal particle (निश्चयार्थक/हेतौ)

• narāḥ: men
• narāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• nara-vara-uttama: O best of men
• nara-vara-uttama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन) Ekavacana; संबोधन to the listener

Speaker

Narada (teaching within Uttara-Bhaga; praise of Vishnu-related vrata observance)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśī (Hari-vrata / Hari-dina observance implied)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśī
• Veda

FAQs

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

It elevates Dvādaśī observance as a highly sanctifying act: the devotee becomes ‘wish-fulfilling’ through firm saṅkalpa and gains a Veda-like authority and purity through alignment with dharma.

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

By praising those who ‘take refuge’ in Dvādaśī, the verse frames vrata as an act of śaraṇāgati (surrender) connected to Vishnu-bhakti, where disciplined devotion transforms the practitioner’s spiritual stature.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical takeaway is calendrical/ritual discipline—observing the correct tithi (Dvādaśī) for vrata completion—reflecting applied dharma-śāstra and traditional time-reckoning used in ritual practice.