Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam

The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya

Devanagari script

उत्तरं दिवसं प्राहू रात्रिर्वै दक्षिणायनम् । मानुषेणैव मासेन पितॄणां दिनमुच्यते ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

uttaraṃ divasaṃ prāhū rātrirvai dakṣiṇāyanam | mānuṣeṇaiva māsena pitṝṇāṃ dinamucyate || 25 ||

Translation

Говорят, что уттараяна (uttarāyaṇa), северный путь, — это день, а дакшина-яна (dakṣiṇāyana), южный путь, — воистину ночь. И одним человеческим месяцем исчисляют «день» Питров (Pitṛs), предков.

Word by Word

• उत्तरम्: northern
• उत्तरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दिवसम्: day
• दिवसम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राहुः: they say
• प्राहुः: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• दक्षिण-अयनम्: the southern course (dakṣiṇāyana)
• दक्षिण-अयनम्: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणस्य अयनम्)

• मानुषेण: by a human (measure)
• मानुषेण: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (context: मासेन), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Restriction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• मासेन: by (one) month
• मासेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of the Pitṛs (manes)
• पितॄणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दिनम्: day
• दिनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

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

It reframes time as relative across realms: what humans count as months and solar courses become the day–night rhythm for the Pitṛs, grounding ancestor worship (pitṛ-yajña/śrāddha) in a cosmic order (kāla).

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

By situating human life within divine time-scales, it encourages reverent remembrance—devotional duty toward ancestors and alignment with dharma—supporting a disciplined, God-centered life where rituals and remembrance become acts of devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa (astronomical time-reckoning): uttarāyaṇa/dakṣiṇāyana as calendrical divisions and the principle that ritual timing and cosmological time units differ for various beings, relevant to planning śrāddha and pitṛ rites.