Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 6

Māsopavāsa (Month-long Fast) and Repeated Parāka Observances: Procedure and Fruits

Devanagari script

मासमेकं निराहारो ह्यद्यप्रभृति केशव । मासान्तं पारणं कुर्वे देवदेव तवाज्ञया ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration

māsamekaṃ nirāhāro hyadyaprabhṛti keśava | māsāntaṃ pāraṇaṃ kurve devadeva tavājñayā || 6 ||

Translation

हे केशवा! आजपासून मी एक महिना निराहार राहीन; महिन्याच्या शेवटी, हे देवदेवा, तुझ्या आज्ञेने पारणे करीन।

Word by Word

• मासम्: a month
• मासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मासम्)

• निराहारः: fasting / without food
• निराहारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (निः+आहारः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-प्रयोग

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्रभृति: from (this point)
• प्रभृति: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भार्थे (from/since)

• केशव: O Keśava
• केशव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मासान्तम्: till the end of the month / month-end
• मासान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मासस्य अन्तः)

• पारणम्: breaking the fast
• पारणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुर्वे: I do / I will perform
• कुर्वे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• देवदेव: O God of gods
• देवदेव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवः देवः = देवेषु देवः)

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आज्ञया: by (your) command
• आज्ञया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

Speaker

A devotee/votary addressing Lord Viṣṇu (Keśava) within the Narada Purana’s vrata-oriented narration

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: māsa-vrata (month-long vow/fast to Viṣṇu)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Keshava

FAQs

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

It presents vrata as disciplined devotion: the fast is not mere austerity, but an act offered to Keśava and concluded properly through pāraṇa under divine sanction.

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

Bhakti here is shown as willing obedience and surrender—undertaking hardship for Viṣṇu and explicitly aligning one’s practice with His ājñā (command/permission).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual precision is emphasized through the concept of pāraṇa—the regulated completion of a vow—reflecting applied dharma-śāstra style procedure rather than a technical Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.