Shloka 12

The Greatness of Haridvāra

Gaṅgādvāra-māhātmya

Devanagari script

जगामैकाकिनी भद्रे द्रष्टुं पितृमखोत्सवम् । ततः सा तत्र संप्राप्ता न केनापि सभाजिता ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

jagāmaikākinī bhadre draṣṭuṃ pitṛmakhotsavam | tataḥ sā tatra saṃprāptā na kenāpi sabhājitā || 12 ||

Translation

Wahai wanita yang lembut, dia pergi seorang diri untuk menyaksikan perayaan korban bagi para leluhur; tetapi setibanya di sana, tiada seorang pun menyambut atau memuliakannya.

Word by Word

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एकाकिनी: alone
• एकाकिनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• भद्रे: O good one
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग (vocative usage), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (Kridanta), तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अर्थः ‘द्रष्टुम्/to see’

• पितृ-मख-उत्सवम्: the festival of the ancestral sacrifice
• पितृ-मख-उत्सवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of seeing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मख (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pitṝṇāṃ makhasya utsavaḥ / pitṛ-sambandhī makha-utsavaḥ)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Temporal setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अर्थः ‘तस्मात्/thereafter’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• संप्राप्ता: having arrived
• संप्राप्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (Kridanta), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निषेध-निपातः

• केन: by anyone
• केन: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even, at all
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निपातः; ‘even/also/any’ (here with केन: ‘by anyone at all’)

• सभाजिता: honoured, received
• सभाजिता: Kriya (क्रिया/Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√भज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (Kridanta), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Suta (narrator) recounting the episode within the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha/mahatmya narration

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Characters & Entities

• Pitrs (ancestors)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights a dharmic contrast: even when sacred ancestral rites (pitṛ-yajña) are being celebrated, neglecting to honor a person who arrives—especially one who comes with reverence—signals a lapse in proper conduct, implying that ritual without right behavior is incomplete.

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

Indirectly, it teaches that devotion is not only ceremonial; it must express itself as humility and honoring others. A sacred occasion meant for reverence (toward the Pitṛs) becomes spiritually diminished when respect and hospitality are absent.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to ritual-practice awareness (kalpa/ācāra): pitṛ-related rites are formal ceremonies, but they must be accompanied by proper reception and honor (sabhājana), reflecting correct procedural dharma alongside the rite.