Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

गन्धैरालिप्य सुश्वेतैरक्षतैः श्वेतपुष्पकैः । बिल्वपत्रैश्च धत्तूरकुसुमैश्च फलैस्तथा ॥ ५२ ॥

Transliteration

gandhairālipya suśvetairakṣataiḥ śvetapuṣpakaiḥ | bilvapatraiśca dhattūrakusumaiśca phalaistathā || 52 ||

Translation

خوشبودار اشیا سے لیپ کر کے نہایت سفید اَکشَت اور سفید پھول چڑھائے۔ نیز بیل پتر، دھتورے کے پھول اور پھل بھی نذر کرے۔

Word by Word

• gandhaiḥ: with fragrances/pastes
• gandhaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• ālipya: having anointed
• ālipya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-lip (लिप् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having anointed/smeared’

• suśvetaiḥ: very white
• suśvetaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suśveta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सु + श्वेत)

• akṣataiḥ: with unbroken rice grains
• akṣataiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• śvetapuṣpakaiḥ: with white flowers
• śvetapuṣpakaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta + puṣpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्वेतानि पुष्पकानि)

• bilvapatraiḥ: with bilva leaves
• bilvapatraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (बिल्वस्य पत्राणि)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• dhattūrakusumaiḥ: with dhattūra flowers
• dhattūrakusumaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhattūra + kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धत्तूरस्य कुसुमानि)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• phalaiḥ: with fruits
• phalaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Narada (teaching ritual procedure in the Narada Purana’s instructional dialogue tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata (contextual; chapter-level)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Bilva
• Dhattura

FAQs

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

It emphasizes bhakti expressed through orderly upacāras (offerings): purity (white flowers/akṣata), auspiciousness (bilva), fragrance (gandha), and completeness (fruits), showing devotion made tangible through sacred materials.

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

Bhakti here is practical and reverential—serving the Lord through careful, sattvic offerings and a respectful sequence of worship, indicating that devotion is cultivated by disciplined, heartfelt ritual action.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects kalpa (ritual procedure) in practice: specifying dravyas (worship substances) and their proper use as part of pūjā-vidhi, a core feature of Vedic and Purāṇic ritual science.