Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

The Narration of the Brāhma Purāṇa’s Account

Brāhma Purāṇānukramaṇikā

Devanagari script

हरिर्व्यासस्वरूपेण जायते च युगे युगे । चतुर्लक्षप्रमाणेन द्वापरे द्वापरे सदा ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

harirvyāsasvarūpeṇa jāyate ca yuge yuge | caturlakṣapramāṇena dvāpare dvāpare sadā || 24 ||

Translation

Hari selbst wird Zeitalter um Zeitalter in der Gestalt Vyāsas geboren; und in jedem Dvāpara-yuga wird der Purāṇa-Korpus unfehlbar immer wieder im Umfang von vier lakṣa (vierhunderttausend) Versen dargelegt.

Word by Word

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यास-स्वरूपेण: in the form of Vyasa
• व्यास-स्वरूपेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्यासस्य स्वरूपम्)

• जायते: is born / comes into being
• जायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• युगे: in an age (yuga)
• युगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• युगे: in (each) age
• युगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis: 'in every yuga')

• चतुः-लक्ष-प्रमाणेन: with a measure of four lakhs
• चतुः-लक्ष-प्रमाणेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्लक्षस्य प्रमाणम्)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvapara (yuga)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• द्वापरे: in Dvapara (again)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis: 'in every Dvapara')

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sage Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara and the Sanaka brothers, summarizing Purāṇic transmission)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Vyasa

FAQs

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

It grounds Purāṇic authority in divinity: the compiler Vyāsa is presented as Hari’s recurring manifestation, showing that sacred knowledge is intentionally renewed for each age.

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

By identifying Vyāsa with Hari, the verse invites devotees to approach Purāṇas and Vyāsa’s teachings as direct access to Viṣṇu’s grace—supporting śravaṇa (hearing) and kīrtana (praising) as reliable bhakti practices.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights the principle of textual organization and transmission—Vyāsa’s role as arranger (a practical, Vyākaraṇa-like discipline of ordering and preserving sacred literature), timed to Dvāpara-yuga cycles.