Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5

The Description of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa’s Table of Contents

Anukramaṇī

Devanagari script

एष वै प्रथमः पादो द्वितीयं श्रृणु मानद । कल्पमन्वन्तराख्यानं लोकज्ञानं ततः परम् ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

eṣa vai prathamaḥ pādo dvitīyaṃ śrṛṇu mānada | kalpamanvantarākhyānaṃ lokajñānaṃ tataḥ param || 5 ||

Translation

„Dies ist wahrlich der erste Pāda; nun höre den zweiten, o Edler. Darin finden sich die Berichte über Kalpas und Manvantaras, und danach das höhere Wissen über die Welten.“

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis/assurance)

• प्रथमः: first
• प्रथमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पादः: section/quarter (pāda)
• पादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्वितीयम्: the second (section)
• द्वितीयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अत्र ‘द्वितीयं पादम्’ इति लुप्त-शब्दान्वयः)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मानद: O bestower of honor
• मानद: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (मानं ददाति इति—‘giver of honor’)

• कल्पम्: the kalpa (aeon)
• कल्पम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मन्वन्तराख्यानम्: the account of the manvantaras
• मन्वन्तराख्यानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्वन्तर + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (मन्वन्तरस्य आख्यानम्)

• लोकज्ञानम्: knowledge of the worlds
• लोकज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (लोकस्य ज्ञानम्)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• परम्: further/next
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

FAQs

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

It frames the Purana as a guided curriculum: after completing the “first pāda,” the listener is led into deeper cosmological teaching—kalpas, manvantaras, and loka-jñāna—so devotion and dharma are grounded in an ordered vision of time and creation.

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

Indirectly, by outlining the text’s progression: understanding cosmic cycles (kalpa/manvantara) and the worlds (lokas) supports steadiness in Vishnu-bhakti, showing the impermanence of worldly phases and the need for refuge in the eternal.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to Purāṇic cosmology and chronology rather than a specific Vedāṅga; it is most adjacent to jyotiṣa-style time-reckoning (kalpa/manvantara frameworks) used for understanding sacred history and ritual-temporal context.