Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 33

The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months

Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana

Devanagari script

गंगादिभिः षोडशभिरुपचारैः समर्चनम् । प्रार्थ्य प्रणम्य विसृजेत्सर्वकामसमृद्धये ॥ ३३ ॥

Transliteration

gaṃgādibhiḥ ṣoḍaśabhirupacāraiḥ samarcanam | prārthya praṇamya visṛjetsarvakāmasamṛddhaye || 33 ||

Translation

应以恒河水等为首的十六种常规供养而礼拜神明。既已祈祷并顶礼之后，当作辞礼以终其供奉，为令一切所愿皆得成就与丰盛。

Word by Word

• गङ्गा-आदिभिः: with Gaṅgā and others
• गङ्गा-आदिभिः: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (आदि-शब्द), तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गा-आदिभिः = गङ्गा-प्रभृतिभिः)

• षोडशभिः: with sixteen
• षोडशभिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• उपचारैः: with services/offerings
• उपचारैः: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• समर्चनम्: complete worship
• समर्चनम्: Karma (कर्म/that which is to be done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; from सम् + √अर्च्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (act-noun)

• प्रार्थ्य: having prayed
• प्रार्थ्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रार्थ्य (कृदन्त, √अर्थ् with प्र-; ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having prayed/requested’

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रणम्य (कृदन्त, √नम् with प्र-; ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (gerund), ‘having bowed’

• विसृजेत्: should dismiss/let go
• विसृजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सृज् (धातु) with वि-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्व-काम-समृद्धये: for the fulfillment of all desires
• सर्व-काम-समृद्धये: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for the sake of); समासः तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां कामानां समृद्धिः)

Speaker

Narada (instructional voice within the Narada Purana’s ritual-summary context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga

FAQs

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

It teaches that worship is not only offering items but completing the rite correctly—invocation, offerings (ṣoḍaśopacāra), heartfelt prayer, reverent prostration, and proper conclusion—so the act becomes spiritually efficacious and life-supporting (samṛddhi).

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

Bhakti here is expressed through disciplined reverence: serving the deity with traditional offerings, then praying and bowing with humility, and finally concluding respectfully—showing devotion as both inner surrender and outer sacred order.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): the standardized ṣoḍaśopacāra framework and the correct ‘closure’ of worship (visarjana), emphasizing that ritual sequence and completion are essential for intended results.