Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

कर्तुःशतगुणं तस्य पुण्यं भवति भूपते । देवालयस्य शुश्रूषां लेपसेचनमण्डनैः ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

kartuḥśataguṇaṃ tasya puṇyaṃ bhavati bhūpate | devālayasya śuśrūṣāṃ lepasecanamaṇḍanaiḥ || 11 ||

Translation

王よ、神殿に仕え、塗り清め、清水を灑ぎ、荘厳して奉仕する者の功徳は、ただ通常の善行をなす者の功徳に比して百倍となる。

Word by Word

• कर्तुः: of the doer
• कर्तुः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शत-गुणम्: hundredfold
• शत-गुणम्: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate-nominative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (numeral determinative: ‘hundredfold’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; used predicatively with implied ‘(puṇyaṃ)’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भूपते: O king
• भूपते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• देव-आलयस्य: of the temple
• देव-आलयस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शुश्रूषाम्: service/attendance
• शुश्रूषाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लेप-सेचन-मण्डनैः: by plastering, sprinkling, and decorating
• लेप-सेचन-मण्डनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेप (प्रातिपदिक) + सेचन (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative: plastering, sprinkling, decorating); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Devalaya

FAQs

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

It elevates temple-sevā (practical service to the deity’s abode) as a powerful bhakti-based dharma, declaring that such devoted upkeep multiplies spiritual merit a hundredfold.

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

Bhakti is shown as tangible service—maintaining the devalaya with cleanliness, sanctification (sprinkling), and beautification—offered as loving attention to the Deity rather than as mere ritual formality.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual practice (kalpa-oriented temple procedure) is implied: purification through cleansing/coating (lepa), consecratory sprinkling (secana), and auspicious decoration (maṇḍana) as part of proper worship conduct.