Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 89

The Explanation of the Twelve-Month Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

सौवर्णं गजवक्त्रं च कृत्वा संपूज्य यत्नतः । द्विजाग्र्याय प्रदातव्यं सर्वसंपत्समृद्धये ॥ ८९ ॥

Transliteration

sauvarṇaṃ gajavaktraṃ ca kṛtvā saṃpūjya yatnataḥ | dvijāgryāya pradātavyaṃ sarvasaṃpatsamṛddhaye || 89 ||

Translation

造作象面尊（主伽内沙）之金像，殷勤供奉礼拜之后，当施与一位上等婆罗门，以令一切福祉财宝圆满兴盛。

Word by Word

• सौवर्णम्: golden
• सौवर्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गज-वक्त्रम्: elephant-faced (image)
• गज-वक्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (gaja-iva vaktram / gajasya vaktram = elephant-face)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्यय/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• संपूज्य: having worshipped well
• संपूज्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/य-प्रत्यय, अव्यय/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having duly worshipped)

• यत्नतः: carefully/with effort
• यत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• द्विज-अग्र्याय: to the best of the Brahmins
• द्विज-अग्र्याय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (dvijānām agryaḥ = best among Brahmins)

• प्रदातव्यम्: should be given
• प्रदातव्यम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्यय, gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयार्थः (should be given)

• सर्व-संपत्-समृद्धये: for the increase of all prosperity
• सर्व-संपत्-समृद्धये: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + संपत् (प्रातिपदिक) + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (sarvāyāḥ sampadaḥ samṛddhiḥ; 'for the prosperity of all wealth')

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a dharma/ritual-instruction context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Ḍhuṃḍhirāja/Gaṇeśa-related vrata (contextual)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ganesha
• Brahmana (Dvija)

FAQs

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

It teaches that prosperity is supported by dharma: first consecrating worship (pūjā) and then offering a sacred gift (dāna) to a worthy recipient, aligning wealth with merit.

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

Bhakti is expressed through careful worship and reverent offering; the act is devotional because it treats the deity as worthy of honor and concludes with selfless giving.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure (kalpa)—proper performance of pūjā and the rules of dāna (who should receive, and the intended result) are implied as the practical framework.