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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43

The Characteristics of Devotion to Hari

यथा हस्तिपदे सर्वं पदमात्रं प्रलीयते । तथा चराचरं विश्वं विष्णावेव प्रलीयते ॥ ४३ ॥

yathā hastipade sarvaṃ padamātraṃ pralīyate | tathā carācaraṃ viśvaṃ viṣṇāveva pralīyate || 43 ||

যেনে হাতীৰ পদচিহ্নত আন সকলো পদচিহ্ন অন্তর্ভুক্ত হয়, তেনেকৈ চল-অচল সমগ্ৰ বিশ্ব শেষত বিষ্ণুতেই লীন হয়।

यथाjust as
यथा:
Upamana (उपमान/Simile marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formउपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb) ‘as/just as’
हस्ति-पदेin the footprint of an elephant
हस्ति-पदे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootहस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘hastinaḥ pade’)
सर्वम्all
सर्वम्:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् पदमात्रम् प्रति
पद-मात्रम्mere footprints (only footprints)
पद-मात्रम्:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootपद (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘padasya mātram’/‘mere footprint’)
प्रलीयतेis dissolved
प्रलीयते:
Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + लि (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ‘is dissolved/vanishes’
तथाso
तथा:
Upamana (उपमान/Correlative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formतुलनावाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb) ‘so/in the same way’
चर-अचरम्moving and unmoving
चर-अचरम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootचर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (‘चरं च अचरं च’)
विश्वम्the universe
विश्वम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootविश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
विष्णौin Viṣṇu
विष्णौ:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
एवindeed
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle) ‘indeed/only’
प्रलीयतेis dissolved
प्रलीयते:
Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + लि (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

V
Vishnu

FAQs

It declares Vishnu as the supreme substratum: all existence—animate and inanimate—ultimately returns to Him at pralaya, pointing the seeker toward final refuge (śaraṇāgati) and liberation.

By presenting Vishnu as the final end of all beings, the verse supports single-pointed devotion (ananya-bhakti): devotion is not merely a practice, but alignment with the ultimate reality into which all dissolves.

No specific Vedanga technique is taught in this verse; it is primarily a Vedantic/pralayic doctrine used to ground practice—ritual and discipline gain meaning when aimed at Vishnu as the final goal.