Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11

Daśamī-vrata: Observances for the Bright Tenth Day Through the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

आषाढशुक्लदशमी पुण्या मन्वादिकैः स्मृता । तस्यां स्नानं जपो दानं होमो वा स्वर्गतिप्रदाः ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

āṣāḍhaśukladaśamī puṇyā manvādikaiḥ smṛtā | tasyāṃ snānaṃ japo dānaṃ homo vā svargatipradāḥ || 11 ||

Translation

ആഷാഢ മാസത്തിലെ ശുക്ലപക്ഷ ദശമി മനു മുതലായവർ പുണ്യദിനമെന്നു സ്മരിക്കുന്നു. ആ ദിവസം സ്നാനം, ജപം, ദാനം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഹോമം—ഇവ സ്വർഗ്ഗഗതി നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• āṣāḍha-śukla-daśamī: the 10th (tithi) of the bright fortnight of Āṣāḍha
• āṣāḍha-śukla-daśamī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āṣāḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + daśamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (निर्देशात्मक): ‘आषाढमासस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य दशमी’ (genitive chain)

• puṇyā: holy/meritorious
• puṇyā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘दशमी’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• manu-ādikaiḥ: by Manu and others
• manu-ādikaiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘मन्वादि’ = ‘Manu and others’ (ādi-शब्देन समाहार); instrumental: ‘by Manu etc.’

• smṛtā: is said/remembered
• smṛtā: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative verbal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is remembered/declared’

• tasyām: on that (day)
• tasyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘on that (tithi)’

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• japaḥ: recitation (japa)
• japaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dānam: charity
• dānam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• homaḥ: fire-offering (homa)
• homaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle) = ‘or’

• svarga-gati-pradāḥ: granting passage to heaven
• svarga-gati-pradāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + gati (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘snāna-japa-dāna-homa’ इत्येषां विशेषण; समासः: ‘स्वर्गस्य गतिं प्रददाति’ (goal-bestowing)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in an anukramanika-style dharma listing; traditionally framed within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Daśamī-vrata (Āṣāḍha Śukla Daśamī observance; often associated in broader tradition with Gaṅgā-daśaharā)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Manu

FAQs

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

It marks Āṣāḍha Śukla Daśamī as an especially merit-producing tithi, where standard dharmic acts—snāna, japa, dāna, and homa—are said to yield svarga-gati (heavenly attainment).

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

While it is primarily a dharma/karma-oriented tithi teaching, japa (mantra-recitation) can be performed as Viṣṇu-nāma-japa or iṣṭa-devatā remembrance, turning the day’s ritual merit into a devotional practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects calendar-based ritual timing (tithi observance), closely connected to Jyotiṣa Vedāṅga (lunar day reckoning) and Kalpa-style ritual practice (snāna, dāna, homa procedures).