Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 60

Dharmopadeśa-Śānti: Rules of Impurity, Expiations, and Ancestor Rites

Devanagari script

सुवर्णमानिकं दद्यात्ततः शुद्धिर्विधीयते । चाण्डालश्वपचैः स्पृष्टे निशि स्नानं विधीयते ॥ ६० ॥

Transliteration

suvarṇamānikaṃ dadyāttataḥ śuddhirvidhīyate | cāṇḍālaśvapacaiḥ spṛṣṭe niśi snānaṃ vidhīyate || 60 ||

Translation

Nên dâng một lượng vàng theo đúng chuẩn mực; rồi sự thanh tịnh được truyền dạy. Nếu bị một caṇḍāla hay kẻ nấu thịt chó (hạng ngoại giai) chạm vào, thì nghi thức tắm gội ban đêm được quy định.

Word by Word

• suvarṇa-mānikam: a mānika (measure) of gold
• suvarṇa-mānikam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa + mānika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa (Tatpurusha): suvarṇasya mānikam (‘a measure/weight of gold’); Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (Singular)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (Singular); parasmaipada

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: Avyaya; apādāna/hetu-artha adverb (‘thereupon/therefrom’)

• śuddhiḥ: purification
• śuddhiḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• vidhīyate: is prescribed/is done
• vidhīyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + √dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (Singular); ātmanepada; karmaṇi-prayoga (passive)

• cāṇḍāla-śvapacaiḥ: by outcastes and dog-cookers
• cāṇḍāla-śvapacaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāṇḍāla + śvapaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa (Dvandva): cāṇḍālāś ca śvapacāś ca; Puṃliṅga (m.), Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• spṛṣṭe: when touched
• spṛṣṭe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: spṛṣṭa (स्पृष्ट, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √spṛś् धातु)
• Form: Bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle), Saptamī (Locative/7th), Ekavacana (Singular); used as locative absolute (saptamī-samāsa/locative absolute): ‘when (one is) touched’

• niśi: at night
• niśi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Saptamī (Locative/7th), Ekavacana (Singular)

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• vidhīyate: is prescribed
• vidhīyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + √dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (Singular); ātmanepada; karmaṇi-prayoga (passive)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a dharma-śāstra style passage; dialogue context traditionally framed with Sanatkumara)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

FAQs

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

It frames purification (śuddhi) as both an inner and outer discipline: charity (dāna) and ritual bathing (snāna) are prescribed as corrective acts to restore ritual fitness after impurity.

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

Indirectly: by emphasizing śauca and dāna, it supports the devotional life by keeping the practitioner eligible for worship, japa, and temple/household rites that are central to Vaiṣṇava bhakti practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied: the verse gives a rule-based prescription for śuddhi—using dāna as prāyaścitta and specifying snāna timing (night-bath) after certain contacts.