Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 64

The Explanation of the Twelve-Month Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

प्रणवाद्यैर्ङेंनमोंऽतैः प्रत्येकं दहने हुनेत् । वक्रतुंडेति ङेंतेन बर्मांतेनाष्टयुक्छतम् ॥ ६४ ॥

Transliteration

praṇavādyairṅeṃnamoṃ'taiḥ pratyekaṃ dahane hunet | vakratuṃḍeti ṅeṃtena barmāṃtenāṣṭayukchatam || 64 ||

Translation

प्रत्येक आहुती ‘ॐ’ ने आरंभ होऊन ‘नमः’ ने समाप्त होणाऱ्या मंत्रांनी अग्नीत अर्पण करावी. नंतर ‘वक्रतुंड-’ ने सुरू होऊन ‘बर्मन्’ (रक्षा-वचन) ने समाप्त मंत्राने १०८ आहुती द्याव्यात.

Word by Word

• praṇava-ādyaiḥ: with (mantras) beginning with praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-ādyaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (प्रणवः आदिः येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental, Plural

• ṅeṃ-namoṃ'taiḥ: ending with ‘namo’ (with the ‘namo’ ending)
• ṅeṃ-namoṃ'taiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namo (अव्यय/मन्त्रपद) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मन्त्रपद-निर्देशः; ‘नमोऽन्त’ (नमो इति अन्ते येषाम्) तत्पुरुष; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental, Plural. (Note: ‘ṅeṃ’ is a Vedic/ritual phonetic marker in some recensions; treated here as mantra-syllable)

• pratyekam: each time / individually
• pratyekam: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pratyeka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावप्राय प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (प्रत्येकं = one by one/each time)

• dahane: in the fire
• dahane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Locative, Singular

• hunet: one should offer (into fire)
• hunet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (हु धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• vakratuṇḍa: O Vakratuṇḍa (curved-trunked one)
• vakratuṇḍa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vakra (प्रातिपदिक) + tuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (वक्रं तुण्डं यस्य सः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा एकवचन (मन्त्रे); Vocative/Nominative Singular in mantra usage

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha/Marker (उद्धरणसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/मन्त्रसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय; Quotative

• ṅeṃ-tena: with that (mantra)
• ṅeṃ-tena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental Singular (‘by/with that’ mantra). (Note: prefixed ‘ṅeṃ’ again as phonetic marker in this recension)

• brahma-āntena: ending with ‘brahma’
• brahma-āntena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्म इति अन्ते यस्य/येन), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental Singular

• aṣṭa-yuk-śatam: a hundred plus eight (108)
• aṣṭa-yuk-śatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + yuk (प्रातिपदिक; ‘युक्त’ अर्थे) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अष्टयुक्तं शतम् = 108), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular (count of offerings/recitations)

Speaker

Narada (teaching ritual procedure in the Narada Purana’s instructional flow)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Om (Praṇava)
• Agni (sacrificial fire)
• Ganesha (Vakratunda)

FAQs

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

It teaches mantra-discipline in worship: aligning each offering with praṇava (Oṃ), humility through “namaḥ,” and protection through barman—so the ritual becomes both devotional and safeguarded.

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

By prescribing “Oṃ … namaḥ” for every oblation, it frames the act of offering as repeated surrender; invoking Vakratunda further emphasizes removing obstacles so devotion can proceed without hindrance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) and mantra-vidhi: the structure of mantras (beginning/ending markers), counted offerings (108), and the use of protective barman formulas in homa.