Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3

Kūrmāpurāṇa-Anukramaṇikā

Index/Summary of the Kūrma Purāṇa

Devanagari script

तत्सप्तदशसाहस्रं सुचतुः संहितं शुभम् । यत्र ब्राह्माः पुरा प्रोक्ता धर्मा नानाविधा मुने ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

tatsaptadaśasāhasraṃ sucatuḥ saṃhitaṃ śubham | yatra brāhmāḥ purā proktā dharmā nānāvidhā mune || 3 ||

Translation

ذلك المصنَّف يضم سبعةَ عشرَ ألفَ بيتٍ، وهو جمعٌ حسنٌ مباركٌ مؤلَّفٌ من أربعة أقسام؛ وفيه، أيها الناسك، كان الحكماء المولودون من براهما قديمًا يعلّمون أنواعًا شتّى من الدَّرما.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1/2 विभक्ति), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• saptadaśa-sāhasram: seventeen-thousand (collection)
• saptadaśa-sāhasram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptadaśa + sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; dvigu compound denoting number

• su-catuḥ: well-arranged / excellent fourfold
• su-catuḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + catuḥ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (Form as in text) Indeclinable-like numeral/adjectival usage; qualifying the collection; 'su-' as intensifier/prefix

• saṃhitam: compiled
• saṃhitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-√dhā (धा धातु) → saṃhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, past passive participle)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; PPP (क्त) used adjectivally: 'compiled/collected'

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; adjective

• yatra: wherein
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; relative adverb (सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय) meaning 'where/in which'

• brāhmāḥ: Brahma-related sages / Brahmās (as speakers)
• brāhmāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• proktāḥ: taught / proclaimed
• proktāḥ: Karma (कर्म) / Predicative qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, past passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; PPP (क्त) agreeing with 'dharmāḥ' (understood)

• dharmāḥ: duties / dharmas
• dharmāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural

• nānā-vidhāḥ: of various kinds
• nānā-vidhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; adjective qualifying 'dharmāḥ'

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8/सम्बोधन), Singular

Speaker

Narada (narrating/reciting within the Anukramanika-style summary)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Brahmā-born sages (Brahmarṣis)
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It frames the text as an auspicious, well-structured four-part compilation whose purpose is dharma-pravacana—preserving and transmitting many forms of righteous conduct taught by ancient Brahmā-born sages.

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

Indirectly: by establishing the Purana as a repository of varied dharmas, it sets the foundation for later teachings where bhakti is presented as a principal dharma; this verse functions as a catalog-style assurance of authoritative guidance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Chandas, Nirukta, Kalpa, Jyotiṣa) is named in this verse; the practical takeaway is the text’s organized compilation format and its broad dharma-coverage rather than a technical science.