Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21

The Description of the Index/Summary of the Garuḍa

Purāṇa

Devanagari script

यत्र तार्क्ष्येण संपृष्टो भगवानाह वाडवाः । धर्मप्रकटनं पूर्वं योगिनां गतिकारणम् ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

yatra tārkṣyeṇa saṃpṛṣṭo bhagavānāha vāḍavāḥ | dharmaprakaṭanaṃ pūrvaṃ yogināṃ gatikāraṇam || 21 ||

Translation

Dort, in jener Begebenheit, als der selige Herr von Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) befragt wurde, sprach Er zu den Vāḍavas: Zuerst kommt die Offenbarung des Dharma; und dieser Dharma wird zur Ursache des höheren Weges (der Verwirklichung) der Yogins.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• तार्क्ष्येण: by Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• तार्क्ष्येण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• सम्पृष्टः: (having been) asked
• सम्पृष्टः: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate participle agreeing with subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पृच्छ् (धातु) → सम्पृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ('having been asked')

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाडवाः: O Vāḍavas / O descendants of Vaḍavā
• वाडवाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः (vocative sense possible)

• धर्म-प्रकटनम्: the manifestation/exposition of dharma
• धर्म-प्रकटनम्: Karta (कर्ता) (as topic/subject of description)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकटन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य प्रकटनम्)

• पूर्वम्: first; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण) / Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः ('first/previously')

• योगिनाम्: of yogins
• योगिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गति-कारणम्: the cause of (their) attainment/path
• गति-कारणम्: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate nominative/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गतेः कारणम्)

Speaker

Suta (Anukramanika-style narrator summarizing a section where Bhagavan answers Garuda)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavan (Vishnu)
• Tarkshya (Garuda)

FAQs

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

It states that the yogin’s spiritual “gati” (higher course/attainment) rests on dharma being clearly revealed and established first—dharma is presented as the necessary foundation for liberation-oriented practice.

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

By highlighting Bhagavān as the authoritative revealer of dharma, it frames bhakti as obedience and alignment with the Lord’s dharma-teaching; devotion matures when practice is grounded in what Bhagavān declares as righteous conduct.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse is not a direct Vedanga instruction, but it implies the practical necessity of dharma-clarification (often supported by śāstra methods like Mīmāṃsā/kalpa-style reasoning) before undertaking yogic disciplines.