Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 30

The Description of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa’s Table of Contents

Anukramaṇī

Devanagari script

अष्टादशमनौपम्यं सारात्सारतरं द्विज । ब्रह्मांडं यच्चतुर्लक्षं पुराणं येन पठ्यते ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśamanaupamyaṃ sārātsārataraṃ dvija | brahmāṃḍaṃ yaccaturlakṣaṃ purāṇaṃ yena paṭhyate || 30 ||

Translation

يا ذا الميلادين (دڤيجا)، من بين البورانات الثماني عشرة فإن «برهماندا بورانا» لا نظير له—بل هو أصفى من صفوة الجوهر؛ وهو البورانا الذي يُتلى على أنه يضم أربعة لاكشا (٤٠٠٬٠٠٠) من الشلوكات.

Word by Word

• अष्टादशम्: eighteen
• अष्टादशम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (numeral)

• अनौपम्यम्: incomparable (in eighteen ways / among eighteen)
• अनौपम्यम्: Karma (कर्म; predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + अनौपम्य (प्रातिपदिक; from उपमा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: अष्टादशम्-अनौपम्यम् (कर्मधारय: ‘eighteen (kinds) incomparable’)

• सारात्: from the essence
• सारात्: Apadana (अपादान; from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सारतरम्: more essential
• सारतरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारतर (प्रातिपदिक; comparative of सार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Brahmāṇḍa (Purāṇa)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (कर्म; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म; relative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun)

• चतुः: four
• चतुः: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग), संख्या-विशेषण

• लक्षम्: four lakhs (400,000)
• लक्षम्: Visheshana (विशेषण; measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: चतुः-लक्षम् (द्विगु: ‘four lakhs’)

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (कर्म; object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण; instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun: ‘by which’)

• पठ्यते: is read/recited
• पठ्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive voice)

Speaker

Suta (narrating Purāṇic anukramaṇikā material to the sages)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmanda Purana

FAQs

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

It emphasizes Purāṇic pramāṇa (textual stature) by praising the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa as uniquely authoritative and “essence-like,” guiding the listener toward trusted śāstric sources for dharma and cosmological teaching.

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

Indirectly: by classifying and exalting a Purāṇa as “sāratara,” it points devotees toward scriptural listening/recitation (śravaṇa–pāṭha) as a bhakti-supporting practice grounded in recognized Purāṇic tradition.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical focus is textual enumeration and pramāṇa—an anukramaṇikā-style cataloging of corpus size (catur-lakṣa), useful for traditional study planning and śāstra classification rather than a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.