Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 36

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

घृतप्रस्थेन यो विष्णुं द्वादश्यां स्नापयेन्नरः । कुलकोटियुतो राजन्सायुज्यं लभते हरेः ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

ghṛtaprasthena yo viṣṇuṃ dvādaśyāṃ snāpayennaraḥ | kulakoṭiyuto rājansāyujyaṃ labhate hareḥ || 36 ||

Translation

اے راجن! جو شخص دْوادشی کے دن ایک پرستھ گھی سے وشنو کو اسنان کراتا ہے، وہ کروڑوں خاندانوں سے یکتا ہو کر ہری کا سائیوجیہ (یکجائی) حاصل کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• घृतप्रस्थेन: with a prastha of ghee
• घृतप्रस्थेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत-प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; घृत + प्रस्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (घृतस्य प्रस्थः = a prastha of ghee)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वादश्याम्: on Dvādaśī
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुलकोटियुतः: accompanied by a crore of families
• कुलकोटियुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुल-कोटि-युत (प्रातिपदिक; कुल + कोटि + युत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः/सः); तत्पुरुषः (कोट्या कुलैः युतः = endowed with a crore of families)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सायुज्यम्: union (identity)
• सायुज्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायुज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• लभते: attains
• लभते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada; addressing a King as 'rājan')

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśī observance (Vaiṣṇava tithi)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hari
• Dvadashi

FAQs

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

It teaches that a specific Dvādaśī act of devotion—bathing Viṣṇu with ghee as abhiṣeka—combines ritual purity with bhakti and culminates in sāyujya-mokṣa, presenting devotion as a direct means to liberation.

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

Bhakti is shown as concrete service to Hari on an auspicious tithi (Dvādaśī). The offering (ghee-abhiṣeka) is not merely transactional; it is a focused act of surrender and reverence that leads to intimate proximity/union with Viṣṇu (sāyujya).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Jyotiṣa (tithi-based observance) are implied: the rite is performed as an abhiṣeka (kalpa) specifically on Dvādaśī determined by the lunar calendar (jyotiṣa).