Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 36

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

घृतप्रस्थेन यो विष्णुं द्वादश्यां स्नापयेन्नरः । कुलकोटियुतो राजन्सायुज्यं लभते हरेः ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

ghṛtaprasthena yo viṣṇuṃ dvādaśyāṃ snāpayennaraḥ | kulakoṭiyuto rājansāyujyaṃ labhate hareḥ || 36 ||

Translation

Wahai Raja, siapa pada Dvādaśī memandikan Viṣṇu dengan satu prastha ghee, ia menjadi berlimpah hingga berjuta garis keluarga dan meraih sāyujya dengan Hari.

Word by Word

• घृतप्रस्थेन: with a prastha of ghee
• घृतप्रस्थेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत-प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; घृत + प्रस्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (घृतस्य प्रस्थः = a prastha of ghee)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वादश्याम्: on Dvādaśī
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुलकोटियुतः: accompanied by a crore of families
• कुलकोटियुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुल-कोटि-युत (प्रातिपदिक; कुल + कोटि + युत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः/सः); तत्पुरुषः (कोट्या कुलैः युतः = endowed with a crore of families)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सायुज्यम्: union (identity)
• सायुज्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायुज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• लभते: attains
• लभते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada; addressing a King as 'rājan')

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśī observance (Vaiṣṇava tithi)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hari
• Dvadashi

FAQs

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

It teaches that a specific Dvādaśī act of devotion—bathing Viṣṇu with ghee as abhiṣeka—combines ritual purity with bhakti and culminates in sāyujya-mokṣa, presenting devotion as a direct means to liberation.

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

Bhakti is shown as concrete service to Hari on an auspicious tithi (Dvādaśī). The offering (ghee-abhiṣeka) is not merely transactional; it is a focused act of surrender and reverence that leads to intimate proximity/union with Viṣṇu (sāyujya).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Jyotiṣa (tithi-based observance) are implied: the rite is performed as an abhiṣeka (kalpa) specifically on Dvādaśī determined by the lunar calendar (jyotiṣa).