Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31

The Exposition of the Dvādaśī Vow for the Twelve Months

Dvādaśī-vrata-nirṇaya and Mahā-dvādaśī Lakṣaṇas

Devanagari script

मातर्मातर्गवां मातर्गृहाणार्घ्यं नमोऽस्तु ते । ततो माषादिसंसिद्धान्वटकांश्च निवेदयेत् ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

mātarmātargavāṃ mātargṛhāṇārghyaṃ namo'stu te | tato māṣādisaṃsiddhānvaṭakāṃśca nivedayet || 31 ||

Translation

اے ماں، اے گایوں کی ماں، اے ماں! یہ اَर्घ्य قبول فرمائیں—آپ کو نمسکار۔ اس کے بعد ماش (اُڑد) وغیرہ سے تیار کیے ہوئے وٹک/وڈے نذر کرے۔

Word by Word

• मातर्: O Mother
• मातर्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• मातर्: O Mother
• मातर्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular (repetition for emphasis)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• मातर्: O Mother
• मातर्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• गृहाण: accept
• गृहाण: आज्ञार्थक-क्रिया (Imperative predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; ‘accept!’

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya-offering
• अर्घ्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; interjection/particle of salutation

• अस्तु: may it be
• अस्तु: विधेयक्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive usage), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘let there be’

• ते: to you
• ते: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive/Dative singular; here dative ‘to you’

• ततः: then
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb ‘then/thereafter’

• माष-आदि-संसिद्धान्: prepared from beans etc.
• माष-आदि-संसिद्धान्: विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माष (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + संसिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural; ‘prepared from beans etc.’ (qualifies वटकान्)

• वटकान्: fried cakes/dumplings (vaṭaka)
• वटकान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction ‘and’

• निवेदयेत्: should offer (as food)
• निवेदयेत्: विधेयक्रिया (Main predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should offer/present’

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a ritual-instruction context, traditionally within Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue flow)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Mother (as Gau-mātā / mother of cows)

FAQs

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

It frames cow-veneration as a dharmic act: offering arghya with reverence and then naivedya, treating Gau-mātā as a sacred, life-sustaining mother worthy of formal honor.

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

Bhakti is shown through respectful address (“Mother, Mother of cows”), humble salutation, and tangible service via offerings—devotion expressed as reverence plus practical care.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure (kalpa-style practice) is implied: the sequence of arghya followed by naivedya, and the specific offering item (māṣa-based vaṭaka) used in a prescribed observance.