Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41

The Description of the Glory of the Purāṇa

Purāṇa-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

प्रियं समाचरेत्तस्य गुरोर्द्धर्मोपदेशिनः । श्रुत्वा पुराणं विधिवद्धोमं कृत्वा सुरार्चनम् ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

priyaṃ samācarettasya gurorddharmopadeśinaḥ | śrutvā purāṇaṃ vidhivaddhomaṃ kṛtvā surārcanam || 41 ||

Translation

Man soll so handeln, wie es jenem Guru, dem Lehrer des Dharma, lieb ist. Nachdem man die Purāṇa gehört hat, vollziehe man gemäß der Vorschrift das Homa (Feueropfer) und verehre die Gottheiten.

Word by Word

• priyam: what is pleasing
• priyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण

• samācaret: should practice/do
• samācaret: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, तृतीय-पुरुष, एकवचन

• tasya: of him/of that (teacher)
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• guroḥ: of the guru
• guroḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• dharma-upadeśinaḥ: who instructs dharma
• dharma-upadeśinaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + upadeśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘गुरोः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• purāṇam: the Purāṇa
• purāṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• vidhivat: according to rule/properly
• vidhivat: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• homam: fire-offering (homa)
• homam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• sura-arcanam: worship of the gods
• sura-arcanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (in instruction to the Sanatkumara brothers, within the Anukramanika-style teaching)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Sura (Devas)

FAQs

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

It links Purāṇa-śravaṇa (hearing sacred narrative) with disciplined follow-through: honoring the dharma-teaching guru and sealing the teaching through vidhivat homa and deva-worship, turning listening into lived sādhana.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent service to the guru and as arcana (worship) after hearing the Purāṇa—devotion that is both relational (guru-prīti) and ritual (homa, deva-arcana) in a dharmic framework.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The phrase vidhivat points to adherence to śrauta/smārta procedure—practical kalpa-oriented ritual discipline (homa-vidhi and worship rules) following scriptural hearing.