Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam

The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya

Devanagari script

उत्तरं दिवसं प्राहू रात्रिर्वै दक्षिणायनम् । मानुषेणैव मासेन पितॄणां दिनमुच्यते ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

uttaraṃ divasaṃ prāhū rātrirvai dakṣiṇāyanam | mānuṣeṇaiva māsena pitṝṇāṃ dinamucyate || 25 ||

Translation

Người ta nói uttarāyaṇa (đường Bắc) là ban ngày, còn dakṣiṇāyana (đường Nam) quả thật là ban đêm. Và chỉ bằng một tháng của loài người, “một ngày” của các Pitṛ (tổ tiên) được tính.

Word by Word

• उत्तरम्: northern
• उत्तरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दिवसम्: day
• दिवसम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राहुः: they say
• प्राहुः: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• दक्षिण-अयनम्: the southern course (dakṣiṇāyana)
• दक्षिण-अयनम्: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणस्य अयनम्)

• मानुषेण: by a human (measure)
• मानुषेण: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (context: मासेन), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Restriction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• मासेन: by (one) month
• मासेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of the Pitṛs (manes)
• पितॄणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दिनम्: day
• दिनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

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

It reframes time as relative across realms: what humans count as months and solar courses become the day–night rhythm for the Pitṛs, grounding ancestor worship (pitṛ-yajña/śrāddha) in a cosmic order (kāla).

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

By situating human life within divine time-scales, it encourages reverent remembrance—devotional duty toward ancestors and alignment with dharma—supporting a disciplined, God-centered life where rituals and remembrance become acts of devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa (astronomical time-reckoning): uttarāyaṇa/dakṣiṇāyana as calendrical divisions and the principle that ritual timing and cosmological time units differ for various beings, relevant to planning śrāddha and pitṛ rites.