Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57

The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months

Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana

Devanagari script

सौवर्णं गंधपुष्पाद्यैः कृत्वा रात्रौ च जागरम् । परेऽह्नि विप्रान्सम्भोज्य पायसेन तु सप्त वै ॥ ५७ ॥

Transliteration

sauvarṇaṃ gaṃdhapuṣpādyaiḥ kṛtvā rātrau ca jāgaram | pare'hni viprānsambhojya pāyasena tu sapta vai || 57 ||

Translation

സുഗന്ധദ്രവ്യങ്ങളും പുഷ്പാദികളും ചേർത്ത് സ്വർണമയ അർപ്പണം ഒരുക്കി രാത്രിയിൽ ജാഗരണം പാലിക്കണം. അടുത്ത ദിവസം പായസത്തോടെ ഏഴ് ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ഭോജിപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• सौवर्णम्: golden
• सौवर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कर्मपदस्य) विशेषणम्

• गन्ध-पुष्प-आद्यैः: with perfumes, flowers, etc.
• गन्ध-पुष्प-आद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (गन्धः च पुष्पाणि च), ‘आदि’ समाहारार्थक; करणत्वेन

• कृत्वा: having made (it)
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अर्थः—कृत्वा = having made/done

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• जागरम्: a vigil (wakefulness)
• जागरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘जागरं कृत्वा’ इति कर्म

• परे-अह्नि: on the next day
• परे-अह्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (परः अह्निः = परेऽह्नि, ‘next day’)

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सम्-भोज्य: having fed (them)
• सम्-भोज्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्गः सम्; अर्थः—भोजयित्वा/सम्यक् भोजयित्वा (having fed)

• पायसेन: with rice-pudding (pāyasa)
• पायसेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करणम् (means)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विशेषार्थक

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषणम्; (विप्रान्) विशेषयति; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे प्रयोगः

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Narada (in instruction within a vrata/ritual context, as transmitted in the Narada Purana dialogue tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Sarvāpti-vrata (continuation)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

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

It teaches a complete vrata-sequence: worship with auspicious offerings, night-long wakefulness (jāgaraṇa) as disciplined devotion, and concluding merit through respectful brāhmaṇa-feeding (bhojana) with a sattvic food like pāyasa.

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

Bhakti is expressed through embodied practices—offering fragrance and flowers, maintaining a vigil with remembrance, and serving the Lord’s devotees/learned brāhmaṇas—turning ritual into sustained devotion and humility.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): the ordered steps of a vow—upacāra-offerings, jāgaraṇa, and prescribed number-based brāhmaṇa-bhojana—showing how dharmic acts are performed with rule-based precision.