Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

The Description of the Skanda Purāṇa’s Anukramaṇī

Index/Summary

Devanagari script

नानातीर्थसमाख्यानं गुप्तक्षेत्रे प्रकीर्तितम् । पांडवानां कथा पुण्या महाविद्याप्रसाधनम् ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

nānātīrthasamākhyānaṃ guptakṣetre prakīrtitam | pāṃḍavānāṃ kathā puṇyā mahāvidyāprasādhanam || 16 ||

Translation

وقد أُعلِنَت حكاياتُ تيرثاتٍ كثيرةٍ بالاستناد إلى الإقليم المقدّس المسمّى غوبتاكشيترا. وإنّ القصةَ الطاهرةَ للپاندافا مُثمِرةٌ للأجر، وهي وسيلةٌ لبلوغ «المهاڤيديا»؛ أي المعرفةِ المقدّسةِ العظمى وإتقانِ ممارستها.

Word by Word

• नानातीर्थसमाख्यानम्: account of various pilgrimage places
• नानातीर्थसमाख्यानम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना-तीर्थ-समाख्यान (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + तीर्थ + समाख्यान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समासः (determinative: 'account of various tīrthas')

• गुप्तक्षेत्रे: in (the) Guptakṣetra / hidden sacred area
• गुप्तक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः ('hidden sacred region')

• प्रकीर्तितम्: proclaimed, described
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'is proclaimed'

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कथा: story
• कथा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाविद्याप्रसाधनम्: means for attaining great knowledge (Mahāvidyā)
• महाविद्याप्रसाधनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाविद्या-प्रसाधन (प्रातिपदिक; महा + विद्या + प्रसाधन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('means/attainment of Mahāvidyā')

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Narada Purana’s topical summary in an anukramaṇikā style)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍavas
• Guptakṣetra
• Tīrthas

FAQs

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

It frames tīrtha-kathā (accounts of holy places) and the Pāṇḍavas’ narrative as spiritually potent: hearing/reciting them yields puṇya and supports higher sacred attainment, described here as mahāvidyā-prasādhana.

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

By praising sacred narration (kathā) connected to tīrthas and exemplary devotees/virtuous figures like the Pāṇḍavas, it implies bhakti grows through śravaṇa (devotional hearing) and smaraṇa (remembrance) of holy histories tied to sacred geography.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No single Vedāṅga is taught directly; rather, it emphasizes the practical purāṇic method of dharma-sādhana—using tīrtha-māhātmya and itihāsa-kathā as a disciplined practice to cultivate merit and readiness for higher mantra/vidyā pursuits.