Shloka 41

Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect

Devanagari script

पुराणसंहितामेतामृषिर्नारायणोऽव्यय: । नारदाय पुरा प्राह कृष्णद्वैपायनाय स: ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

purāṇa-saṁhitām etām ṛṣir nārāyaṇo ’vyayaḥ nāradāya purā prāha kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāya saḥ

Translation

Diese wesentliche Sammlung aller Purāṇas wurde einst vom unvergänglichen Ṛṣi Nara-Nārāyaṇa zu Nārada gesprochen; und Nārada trug sie daraufhin Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa vor.

Synonyms

• purāṇa-saṁhitām: the Purāṇa-compilation
• purāṇa-saṁhitām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa + saṁhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘पुराणस्य संहिता’

• etām: this
• etām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to saṁhitām)

• ṛṣiḥ: the sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• avyayaḥ: imperishable
• avyayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (to nārāyaṇaḥ)

• nāradāya: to Nārada
• nāradāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• prāha: said, spoke
• prāha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (अह्/ब्रू)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāya: to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + dvaipāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नामविशेषण-समास) ‘कृष्णः (वर्णतः) द्वैपायनः’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi
• Nārada
• Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana (Vedavyāsa)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the disciplic succession (paramparā) of the text?

This verse states that the imperishable sage Nārāyaṇa first spoke the Purāṇic compendium to Nārada, who then spoke it to Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana (Vyāsa), establishing an authoritative chain of transmission.

Why did Nārada speak the Bhāgavata Purāṇa to Vedavyāsa (Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana)?

The verse presents Nārada as the transmitter of the Bhāgavata to Vyāsa, indicating that Vyāsa received this revelation through Nārada’s instruction as part of the sacred lineage of hearing and teaching.

Practical application of paramparā (receiving wisdom through a lineage) in modern life?

It encourages learning spiritual teachings from authentic sources and realized teachers, preserving meaning through careful hearing, study, and faithful transmission rather than relying only on speculation.