Shloka 6

Mohinī-prashna

The Question about Mohinī

Devanagari script

पुरोडाशोऽपि वामोरु संप्राप्ते हरिवासरे । अभक्ष्येण समः प्रोक्तः किं पुनश्चात्तनक्रिया ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration

puroḍāśo'pi vāmoru saṃprāpte harivāsare | abhakṣyeṇa samaḥ proktaḥ kiṃ punaścāttanakriyā || 6 ||

Translation

હે વામોરુ! હરિવાસર (એકાદશી) આવી પહોંચે ત્યારે પુરોડાશ પણ અભક્ષ્ય સમાન કહેવાયો છે; તો પછી સામાન્ય નિત્યભોજન અને દૈનિક આહારક્રિયા તો કેટલી વધુ વर्ज્ય!

Word by Word

• पुरोडाशः: puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)
• पुरोडाशः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोडाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) = even/also

• वामोरु: O fair-thighed lady
• वामोरु: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामोरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative; कर्मधारय (वामा ऊरू यस्याः/वामे ऊरू) used as epithet

• संप्राप्ते: when it has come/when it arrives
• संप्राप्ते: अधिकरण (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) > संप्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative absolute sense: ‘when (it is) arrived/when it has come’

• हरिवासरे: on Hari’s day (Ekādaśī)
• हरिवासरे: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिवासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हरेः वासरः)

• अभक्ष्येण: with/like the inedible (forbidden)
• अभक्ष्येण: करण (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (as/with)

• समः: equal/same
• समः: विशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; predicate adjective to पुरोडाशः

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: क्रिया (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) > प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Past passive participle (is said/declared)

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: सम्बन्ध (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्न-निपात (interrogative particle) used idiomatically with पुनः = ‘what then’

• पुनः: then/further
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = again/further/then

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• आत्तन-क्रिया: the act of eating (food taken) / eating-activity
• आत्तन-क्रिया: कर्ता (Subject, implied: ‘what then of…’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्तन (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आत्तनस्य क्रिया)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching in dialogue with Narada; addressing a female interlocutor as vāmoru in the instruction style)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Ekadashi

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It elevates Harivāsara (Ekādaśī) as a distinctly sacred time where even normally sanctified offerings are treated as unsuitable for eating, emphasizing heightened purity, restraint, and Vishnu-centered devotion.

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

By prioritizing Hari’s day over personal appetite, the verse frames fasting/restraint as an act of loving obedience and remembrance of Vishnu—Bhakti expressed through disciplined vrata.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual-dharma application: it gives a vrata-based dietary injunction (niyama) for a specific sacred calendrical observance (Harivāsara/Ekādaśī), aligning daily conduct with scriptural ritual timing.