Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

Śrāddha-prayoga: Niyama, Brāhmaṇa-parīkṣā, Kutapa-kāla, Tithi-nyāya, and Vaiṣṇava-phala

Devanagari script

काव्यं प्रत्तं तु सायाह्ने राक्षसं तद्भवेदपि । दाता नरकमाप्नोति भोक्ता च नरकं व्रजेत् ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

kāvyaṃ prattaṃ tu sāyāhne rākṣasaṃ tadbhavedapi | dātā narakamāpnoti bhoktā ca narakaṃ vrajet || 25 ||

Translation

सायाह्ने यत्प्रदत्तं तु काव्यं तद्राक्षसं भवेत् । दाता नरकमाप्नोति, भोक्ता च नरकं व्रजेत् ॥

Word by Word

• काव्यम्: (ancestral) offering
• काव्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रत्तम्: given/offered
• प्रत्तम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → प्रत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — agreeing with ‘काव्यम्’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेष (contrast/emphasis)

• सायाह्ने: in the evening
• सायाह्ने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायाह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• राक्षसम्: rākṣasa-type (demonic)
• राक्षसम्: प्रधानीय-विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — predicate adjective

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — refers to that offering

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद; ‘would become’

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपवाद (also/even)

• दाता: the giver
• दाता: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) + तृच् (प्रत्यय) → दातृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद; ‘attains’

• भोक्ता: the eater/consumer
• भोक्ता: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + तृच् (प्रत्यय) → भोक्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• व्रजेत्: would go
• व्रजेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद; ‘would go’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Pitrs

FAQs

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

It stresses that śrāddha is not merely charity but a regulated sacred act; wrong timing (evening) corrupts the rite into a harmful ‘rākṣasa’ form, bringing adverse karma to both the performer and the participant.

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

Bhakti includes obedience to dharma and purity in ritual intention and method; honoring the Pitṛs correctly is part of living a disciplined, sattvic life that supports devotion rather than contradicting it through negligence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) and its time-discipline: the verse implies that kāla (proper ritual timing) is essential in śrāddha-vidhi, and violations are treated as doṣa with specific karmic results.