Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

Śrāddha-prayoga: Niyama, Brāhmaṇa-parīkṣā, Kutapa-kāla, Tithi-nyāya, and Vaiṣṇava-phala

Devanagari script

क्षयाहस्य तिथैर्विप्र यदि दंडमितिर्भवेत् । विद्धापराह्णि कायां तु श्राद्धं कार्यं विजानता ॥ २६ ॥

Transliteration

kṣayāhasya tithairvipra yadi daṃḍamitirbhavet | viddhāparāhṇi kāyāṃ tu śrāddhaṃ kāryaṃ vijānatā || 26 ||

Translation

ഓ വിപ്രാ! ക്ഷയാഹ ദിനത്തിൽ തിഥികൾ ദണ്ഡമാത്ര സമയമേ ഉള്ളുവെങ്കിൽ, വിധി അറിയുന്നവൻ വിദ്ധ-അപരാഹ്ണ സമയത്ത് ശ്രാദ്ധം നടത്തണം.

Word by Word

• क्षयाहस्य: of the day of decay/waning (kṣayāha)
• क्षयाहस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय + अहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘क्षयस्य अहः’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• तिथैः: by the lunar dates (tithis)
• तिथैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: सम्बन्ध (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-सम्बन्धक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• दण्डमितिः: a measure of one daṇḍa (time-measure)
• दण्डमितिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + मिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘दण्ड-परिमाणम्’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद; ‘would be/occur’

• विद्ध: having begun / having been reached
• विद्ध: अधिकरण (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → विद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — used in locative absolute sense with ‘अपराह्णि’ (‘when afternoon is ‘pierced’/entered)

• अपराह्णि: in the afternoon
• अपराह्णि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• कायाम्: in the body/person
• कायाम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; here ‘in the body/person’ (contextual)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेष/विरोध (emphasis/contrast)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular

• कार्यम्: should be performed
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तव्यता-वाचक कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘should be done’

• विजानता: by one who knows/understands
• विजानता: कर्ता (Karta/Agent; in instruction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय) → विजानत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by one who knows’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on śrāddha timing rules)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

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

It stresses that ancestral rites (śrāddha) must be aligned with precise sacred time (kāla); correct timing safeguards the rite’s efficacy and honors the pitṛs according to dharma.

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

Indirectly: by teaching careful, faithful observance of dharmic rites, it cultivates śraddhā (reverent trust) and disciplined devotion—foundational attitudes that support Vishnu-bhakti in the Purāṇic worldview.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology/kalā-nirṇaya): deciding ritual timing using tithi behavior (kṣaya), aparāhṇa (afternoon window), and viddhā (overlap) considerations, including very short ‘daṇḍa’-length tithis.