Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
The Greatness of Viṣṇu
Viṣṇor Māhātmya
जयध्वज उवाच । शृणुष्व विप्रशार्दूल मयैवाचरितं पुरा । जातिस्मरत्वाज्जानामि श्रोतॄणां विस्मयप्रदम् ॥ २३ ॥
jayadhvaja uvāca | śṛṇuṣva vipraśārdūla mayaivācaritaṃ purā | jātismaratvājjānāmi śrotṝṇāṃ vismayapradam || 23 ||
قال جيايدهفاجا: «اسمعْ، يا أسدَ البراهمة ونمرَهم، ما فعلتُه أنا في الزمن السالف. ولأني أملك تذكّرَ الولادات السابقة فأنا أعلمه—وهو أمر يبعث الدهشة في قلوب السامعين».
Jayadhvaja
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse establishes the authority of lived spiritual memory—jātismaratva (recollection of past births)—as a narrative device to convey dharma and karmic lessons with experiential certainty, preparing the listener for a transformative account.
Indirectly, it sets a devotional-ethical context: a credible personal history is about to be shared so that hearers develop śraddhā (faith) and receptivity—key prerequisites for sustained Vishnu Bhakti and disciplined practice.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; it functions as a narrative preface emphasizing testimony (anubhava) and remembrance as tools for instruction.