Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 133

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

किं बहूक्तेन सर्वेष्टदायकं तर्पणं त्विदम् । ससितोपलधारोष्णदुग्धबुद्ध्या जलेन वै ॥ १३३ ॥

Transliteration

kiṃ bahūktena sarveṣṭadāyakaṃ tarpaṇaṃ tvidam | sasitopaladhāroṣṇadugdhabuddhyā jalena vai || 133 ||

Translation

Que necessidade há de dizer mais? Este tarpaṇa concede todos os fins desejados. De fato, deve ser realizado com água, contemplando-a como um fluxo de luar, como leite morno e como uma corrente de cristal branco.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (need)
• किम्: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातार्थे प्रश्न/उपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (idiomatic: ‘what use...’)

• बहु-उक्तेन: with much talk
• बहु-उक्तेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त; वच्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘बहु उक्त’ इति तत्पुरुष, instrumental ‘by much speaking’

• सर्वेष्ट-दायकम्: granting all desired things
• सर्वेष्ट-दायकम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + इष्ट (कृदन्त; इष्-धातोः क्त) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘सर्वेष्टस्य दायकम्’

• तर्पणम्: this tarpaṇa rite
• तर्पणम्: कर्ता/विषय (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: विशेष्य (Head noun referent/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स-शित-उपल-धार-उष्ण-दुग्ध-बुद्ध्या: with the idea (buddhi) of warm milk cooled by a stream over a cold stone
• स-शित-उपल-धार-उष्ण-दुग्ध-बुद्ध्या: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थे ‘सहित’) + शित (कृदन्त; शि/शीत्-भावे) + उपल (प्रातिपदिक) + धार (प्रातिपदिक) + उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + दुग्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः—‘शितोपलधारया उष्णदुग्धबुद्ध्या’ (with the notion that water is warm milk cooled by a stream over a cold stone)

• जलेन: with water
• जलेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It teaches that tarpaṇa becomes powerfully fruitful when performed with correct inner contemplation—water is ritually “transformed” by bhāvanā into auspicious, nourishing, and luminous offerings that satisfy the recipients and yield desired results.

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

By emphasizing intention and reverent visualization, it aligns ritual action with inward devotion—offering water as if it were moonlight or milk expresses loving care and sacred attention, which is central to bhakti-oriented practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights prayoga (ritual application) and manasa-bhāvanā (prescribed mental construction) as part of technical ritual discipline—showing that correct procedure includes both external act (jala-tarpaṇa) and internal cognition (buddhi/bhāvanā).