Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 75

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

किंचिन्न्यूनाब्दसंगे तु षण्मासव्रतमाचरेत् । एतच्च त्रिगुणं प्रोक्तं ज्ञानात्संगे यथाक्रमम् ॥ ७५ ॥

Transliteration

kiṃcinnyūnābdasaṃge tu ṣaṇmāsavratamācaret | etacca triguṇaṃ proktaṃ jñānātsaṃge yathākramam || 75 ||

Translation

जर (नियमपालनाचा) संग एक वर्षापेक्षा किंचित कमी असेल, तर सहा मासांचे व्रत करावे. ज्ञान व संग यानुसार हे प्रायश्चित्त क्रमाने त्रिविध सांगितले आहे॥७५॥

Word by Word

• किञ्चित्: somewhat
• किञ्चित्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: somewhat/a little)

• न्यून-अब्द-सङ्गे: in (the case of) association for less than a year
• न्यून-अब्द-सङ्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यून (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (न्यूनः अब्दः यस्मात्/न्यूनाब्दे सङ्गः)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• षण्मास-व्रतम्: a six-month vow
• षण्मास-व्रतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (षण्मासं व्रतम्)

• आचरेत्: should practice/undertake
• आचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रिगुणम्: threefold
• त्रिगुणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयो गुणाः यस्य/त्रिगुणम्)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predication)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has been said’

• ज्ञानात्: from/according to knowledge (i.e., knowing)
• ज्ञानात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause/ground)

• सङ्गे: in the case of association
• सङ्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यथा-क्रमम्: in due order
• यथा-क्रमम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a didactic sequence on observances)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Ṣaṇmāsa-vrata (six-month vow)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It teaches a practical, graded discipline: if a full-year commitment cannot be maintained, a six-month vrata is prescribed, emphasizing steady practice aligned with one’s capacity and maturity.

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

By stressing sustained saṅga (continued engagement and supportive association), it frames bhakti as a disciplined, time-bound practice that can be adapted without abandoning the vow entirely.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects ritual pragmatics (kalpa-oriented thinking): adapting the duration and tier of an observance based on eligibility and continuity, rather than insisting on a single rigid standard.