Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3

The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months

Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana

Devanagari script

लिखित्वाष्टदलं पद्मं कर्णिकायां विभावम् । विन्यसेत्पूर्वपत्रे तु देवौ द्वौ कृतधातुकौ ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

likhitvāṣṭadalaṃ padmaṃ karṇikāyāṃ vibhāvam | vinyasetpūrvapatre tu devau dvau kṛtadhātukau || 3 ||

Translation

画出八瓣莲华之后，应将“毗婆婆”（Vibhāva）安置于中央莲房；并在东方一瓣上，安置两尊以金属铸成的神祇。

Word by Word

• लिखित्वा: having drawn/written
• लिखित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• अष्टदलम्: eight-petalled
• अष्टदलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of पद्मम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्टानि दलानि यस्य)

• पद्मम्: lotus (diagram)
• पद्मम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कर्णिकायाम्: in the pericarp/center
• कर्णिकायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विभावम्: Vibhāva (name/title)
• विभावम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; to be placed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विन्यसेत्: should place/arrange
• विन्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + अस्/न्यस् (धातु; √न्यस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पूर्वपत्रे: on the eastern petal
• पूर्वपत्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पूर्वे पत्रे)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• देवौ: two gods
• देवौ: Karma (कर्म/Object; to be placed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of देवौ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• कृतधातुकौ: having ‘kṛta-dhātuka’ (epithet)
• कृतधातुकौ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of देवौ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + धातुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (कृतं धातुकं ययोः/कृतधातुक-विशेषण)

Speaker

Narada (in an instructional/ritual-description passage, within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue framework)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Saptamī-vrata (continuation of the same rite)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vibhāva

FAQs

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

It teaches disciplined worship through a sacred maṇḍala: the eight-petalled lotus represents ordered cosmic space, and installing the deity in the center and petals aligns the worshipper’s mind and ritual field with divine presence.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as careful, reverent service (sevā) through prescribed placement (nyāsa) and consecration—devotion becomes concrete through ritual focus on the deity’s manifested form (vibhāva).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa/ritual procedure (a Vedāṅga domain): constructing a lotus-maṇḍala, specifying directions (east petal), and using dhātu-pratimā (metal icons) as part of formal worship methodology.