Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76

The Exposition of the Dvādaśī Vow for the Twelve Months

Dvādaśī-vrata-nirṇaya and Mahā-dvādaśī Lakṣaṇas

Devanagari script

लभते रूपसौभाग्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा । सहस्ये शुक्लपक्षे तु सुजन्मद्वादशीव्रतम् ॥ ७६ ॥

Transliteration

labhate rūpasaubhāgyaṃ nātra kāryā vicāraṇā | sahasye śuklapakṣe tu sujanmadvādaśīvratam || 76 ||

Translation

അവൻ/അവൾ രൂപവും സൗഭാഗ്യവും പ്രാപിക്കും—ഇതിൽ സംശയം വേണ്ട. സഹസ്യ മാസത്തിലെ ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിൽ ‘സുജന്മ-ദ്വാദശി’ വ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്।

Word by Word

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; √लभ् (to obtain)

• rūpa-saubhāgyam: beauty and good fortune
• rūpa-saubhāgyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saubhāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (itaretara): beauty and good fortune

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• kāryā: to be done/necessary
• kāryā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective) agreeing with vicāraṇā

• vicāraṇā: consideration/deliberation
• vicāraṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sahasye: in the month Sahasya
• sahasye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; मास-नाम (month ‘Sahasya’ = Māgha in some traditions)

• śukla-pakṣe: in the bright fortnight
• śukla-pakṣe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• su-janma-dvādaśī-vratam: the Sujanma-Dvādaśī vow
• su-janma-dvādaśī-vratam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (अव्यय) + janma (प्रातिपदिक) + dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextual; here nominative as topic), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: dvādaśyāṃ vartamānaṃ vrataṃ (Dvādaśī-vow) with epithet sujanma

Speaker

Narada (teaching the Sanatkumara brothers)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Sujanma-Dvādaśī-vrata

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It states a clear phala-śruti: observing the Sujanma-Dvādaśī vow at the prescribed time yields rūpa (beauty) and saubhāgya (auspicious fortune), emphasizing faith in vrata-dharma without skepticism.

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

By prescribing a Dvādaśī-vrata (commonly connected with Hari/Vishnu worship), it frames devotion as disciplined observance aligned to sacred time (tithi and pakṣa), where bhakti expressed through vrata bears tangible and spiritual merit.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights calendrical/astronomical reckoning (tithi, śukla-pakṣa, and month-name Sahasya), aligning with Jyotiṣa-based ritual timing used to fix when a vrata should be performed.