Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

Dīpa-vidhi-vyākhyānam

Procedure for Lamp-Offering to Hanumān

Devanagari script

पञ्च सप्त नव तथा प्रमाणास्ते यथाक्रमम् । सौगंधे नैव मानं स्यात्तद्यथारुचि संमतम् ॥ १८ ॥

Transliteration

pañca sapta nava tathā pramāṇāste yathākramam | saugaṃdhe naiva mānaṃ syāttadyathāruci saṃmatam || 18 ||

Translation

ക്രമമായി അഞ്ച്, ഏഴ്, ഒൻപത്—ഇവയാണ് അളവുകൾ. എന്നാൽ സുഗന്ധദ്രവ്യങ്ങളിൽ സ്ഥിരമായ അളവ് ഇല്ല; അത് ഇഷ്ടാനുസാരം അംഗീകര്യമാണ്.

Word by Word

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (प्रयोगे) प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थः ‘five’

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थः ‘seven’

• नव: nine
• नव: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थः ‘nine’

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• प्रमाणाः: measures/standards
• प्रमाणाः: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• यथा-क्रमम्: in proper order
• यथा-क्रमम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् (adverb) ‘in due order/ क्रमशः’

• सौगन्धे: in the case of perfumes/fragrant substances
• सौगन्धे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगभेद), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘in the case of fragrance/perfume’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis ‘indeed/just’)

• मानम्: a fixed measure
• मानम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्यात्: should be/would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथा-रुचि: as desired
• यथा-रुचि: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + रुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् (adverb) ‘according to taste/liking’

• संमतम्: approved/accepted
• संमतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मन् (धातु) → संमत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘approved/accepted’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on technical/ritual standards)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: hasya

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It teaches that while many ritual elements follow precise pramāṇa (standards), some offerings like fragrance are guided by sincerity and suitability—devotion expressed through thoughtful appropriateness rather than rigid quantity.

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

By allowing fragrance to be offered “according to taste,” it emphasizes bhakti’s inner intent: offerings to the deity (often Vishnu in Narada Purana contexts) should be pleasing and heartfelt, not merely mechanically measured.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights pramāṇa (measurement/standardization) used in ritual procedure—typical of Vedanga-oriented instruction—while also noting an exception category where sensory items (saugandha) are not bound to fixed numerical measures.