Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 77

The Explanation of the Twelve-Month Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

गगनार्णवमाणिक्य चंद्र दाक्षायणीपते । गृहाणार्घ्यं मया दत्तं गणेशप्रतिरूपक ॥ ७७ ॥

Transliteration

gaganārṇavamāṇikya caṃdra dākṣāyaṇīpate | gṛhāṇārghyaṃ mayā dattaṃ gaṇeśapratirūpaka || 77 ||

Translation

Wahai Bulan—permata lautan langit, wahai tuan kepada Dākṣāyaṇī—terimalah arghya yang kupersembahkan ini, wahai yang menyerupai Gaṇeśa.

Word by Word

• गगनार्णवमाणिक्य: O jewel of the sky-ocean
• गगनार्णवमाणिक्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन + अर्णव + माणिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (गगन-अर्णवस्य माणिक्यम् = jewel of the sky-ocean; epithets)

• चन्द्र: O Moon
• चन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दाक्षायणीपते: O husband of Dākṣāyaṇī
• दाक्षायणीपते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (दाक्षायण्याः पतिः = husband of Dākṣāyaṇī)

• गृहाण: accept
• गृहाण: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु) (परस्मैपद)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) = 'given' (agreeing with अर्घ्यम्)

• गणेशप्रतिरूपक: O one resembling Gaṇeśa
• गणेशप्रतिरूपक: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश + प्रतिरूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (गणेशस्य प्रतिरूपकः = resembling Gaṇeśa)

Speaker

Narada (in a ritual-instruction context within the Purva Bhaga Fourth Pada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Saṅkaṣṭa-vrata (contextual sequence)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Chandra
• Daksayani
• Ganesha

FAQs

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

It sacralizes the act of offering arghya to Chandra, framing the Moon as a divine lord worthy of reverence, and emphasizing devotion expressed through precise ritual honor (upacāra).

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

Bhakti here is shown as humble, personal offering—“accept what I have given”—where reverence is conveyed through praise-names and a concrete act of worship, aligning feeling with disciplined practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects ritual procedure (kalpa-oriented practice) through the arghya offering and mantra-style address; it also resonates with jyotiṣa-linked devotion to Chandra as a graha-deity in vow and worship contexts.