Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 69

Dvādaśī-vrata: Month-by-month Viṣṇu Worship and the Year-End Udyāpana

Devanagari script

मासि भाद्रपदे शुक्ले द्वादश्यां समुपोषितः । स्नापयेद्द्रोणपयसा हृषीकेशं जगद्गुरुम् ॥ ६९ ॥

Transliteration

māsi bhādrapade śukle dvādaśyāṃ samupoṣitaḥ | snāpayeddroṇapayasā hṛṣīkeśaṃ jagadgurum || 69 ||

Translation

Pada bulan Bhādrapada, dalam paruh terang, setelah berpuasa dengan sempurna pada hari Dvādaśī, hendaklah seseorang memandikan Hṛṣīkeśa—Guru seluruh jagat—dengan susu sebanyak satu ukuran droṇa.

Word by Word

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (locative of time)

• भाद्रपदे: in Bhādrapada
• भाद्रपदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाद्रपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शुक्ले: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्ले: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying भाद्रपदे)

• द्वादश्याम्: on the Dvādaśī (12th day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथ्यधिकरणे (on the 12th lunar day)

• सम्-उपोषितः: having duly fasted
• सम्-उपोषितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपवस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—सम्, उप; अर्थः—उपवासं कृतवान् (having fasted)

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच् causative: स्नापय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग

• द्रोण-पयसा: with a droṇa-measure of milk
• द्रोण-पयसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक) + पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (पयस्), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन; परिमाण-विशिष्टं करणम् (instrument: milk of a droṇa-measure)

• हृषीकेशम्: Hṛṣīkeśa (Vishnu)
• हृषीकेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीकेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—हृषीकाणि इन्द्रियाणि केशा इव यस्य (epithet of Viṣṇu)

• जगत्-गुरुम्: the teacher of the world
• जगत्-गुरुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—जगतः गुरु: (appositional epithet to हृषीकेशम्)

Speaker

Nārada (teaching in a vrata/ritual instruction context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśī-vrata (Vaishnava observance; paired with fasting)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• Jagadguru (epithet of Viṣṇu)

FAQs

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

It prescribes a tithi- and month-specific act of devotion: fasting on Śukla Dvādaśī in Bhādrapada and offering milk-abhiṣeka to Viṣṇu (Hṛṣīkeśa), emphasizing disciplined devotion and sanctified ritual timing.

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

Bhakti is expressed through upavāsa (self-restraint) and loving service (snāpayet/abhiṣeka) to Viṣṇu as Jagadguru, showing devotion as both inner discipline and outward worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights calendrical ritual precision—tithi (Dvādaśī), pakṣa (Śukla), and māsa (Bhādrapada)—aligning with Jyotiṣa-based timekeeping used to schedule vrata and pūjā.