Shloka 63

Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas

Devanagari script

आपो नारायणोद्भूतास्ता एवास्यायनं पुनः / तस्मान्नारायणं देवं स्नानकाले स्मरेद् बुधः

Transliteration

āpo nārāyaṇodbhūtāstā evāsyāyanaṃ punaḥ / tasmānnārāyaṇaṃ devaṃ snānakāle smared budhaḥ

Translation

Die Wasser sind aus Nārāyaṇa hervorgegangen, und eben diese Wasser sind wiederum sein Āyana, seine Ruhestätte. Darum soll der Weise zur Zeit des Bades des Herrn Nārāyaṇa gedenken.

Word by Word

• āpaḥ: waters
• āpaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nārāyaṇa-udbhūtāḥ: born from Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇa-udbhūtāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘arisen from Nārāyaṇa’ (qualifying āpaḥ)

• tāḥ: those (waters)
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; resumptive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• asya: of him/of this (Nārāyaṇa)
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; possession)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam/tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• ayanam: abode/going/means (here: resting-place)
• ayanam: Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधाननाम; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• punaḥ: again/further
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; repetition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (अव्यय)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु; reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative singular used adverbially (पञ्चमी/5), ‘therefore/from that’

• nārāyaṇam: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇam: Karma (कर्म; object of smaret)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (कर्म; object-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to nārāyaṇam

• snāna-kāle: at bathing time
• snāna-kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; locus/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘at the time of bathing’

• smaret: should remember
• smaret: Kriyā (क्रिया; main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• budhaḥ: a wise man
• budhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic teaching to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Āpaḥ (Waters)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By identifying water’s origin and “abode” as Nārāyaṇa, the verse frames the sacred element used for purification as rooted in the Supreme—implying that outer cleansing is most complete when joined to inner remembrance of the one divine ground of all.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It emphasizes smaraṇa (mindful remembrance) at snāna-kāla—turning a daily rite into a meditative act where attention is placed on Īśvara (Nārāyaṇa), aligning bodily purification with mental concentration (dhāraṇā-like focus).

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Though Nārāyaṇa is named, the teaching matches the Kurma Purana’s integrative theology: purification is perfected by remembrance of the single Supreme Lord (Īśvara) revered across Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva idioms, supporting a non-sectarian, unified devotion.