Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

परमान्नप्रदानेन मम स्यादिष्टदायकः । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेत्पश्चाच्छक्तितो बन्धुभिः सह ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

paramānnapradānena mama syādiṣṭadāyakaḥ | brāhmaṇānbhojayetpaścācchaktito bandhubhiḥ saha || 22 ||

Translation

ఉత్తమ అన్నదానంతో అతడు నాకు ఇష్టప్రదాతగా అవుతాడు; అనంతరం తన శక్తి మేరకు బంధువులతో కలిసి బ్రాహ్మణులకు భోజనం పెట్టాలి।

Word by Word

• परम-अन्न-प्रदानेन: by the offering of excellent food
• परम-अन्न-प्रदानेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; तृतीया, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः— ‘परमस्य अन्नस्य प्रदानम्’ (offering of excellent food)

• मम: for me / of me
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (genitive)

• स्यात्: may be / would become
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• इष्ट-दायकः: giver of desired boons
• इष्ट-दायकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः— ‘इष्टस्य दायकः’ (giver of desired [boons])

• ब्राह्मणान्: brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिच्-प्रत्यय (Causative) — ‘cause to eat/feed’

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb) — afterwards

• शक्तितः: according to one’s capacity
• शक्तितः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb) — ‘from/according to ability’

• बन्धुभिः: with relatives
• बन्धुभिः: Saha (सह/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; तृतीया, बहुवचनम्

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्ययम् (preposition-like indeclinable)

Speaker

Narada (instructional voice within a dāna/anna-dāna context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It teaches that offering the best food as dāna, followed by feeding Brāhmaṇas within one’s means, is a dharmic act that pleases the deity and yields desired spiritual and worldly fruits.

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

Bhakti is expressed through reverent service: giving the finest food and honoring Brāhmaṇas as recipients of sacred hospitality becomes a practical form of devotion that aligns one’s resources with worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): the ordered sequence—offering/gifting food and then conducting brāhmaṇa-bhojana—performed “according to capacity” (śaktitaḥ) as a rule of ritual propriety.