Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13

Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State

Devanagari script

पंचस्रोतसमागम्य कापिलं मंडलं महत् । पुरुषावस्थमव्यंक्तं परमार्थं न्यवेदयत् ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

paṃcasrotasamāgamya kāpilaṃ maṃḍalaṃ mahat | puruṣāvasthamavyaṃktaṃ paramārthaṃ nyavedayat || 13 ||

Translation

Nachdem er den Zusammenfluss der fünf Ströme erreicht hatte, offenbarte er den großen „Kapila-Kreis“, die Sphäre der Sāṅkhya: Er erklärte das Avyakta (das Unmanifestierte) als den Zustand des Puruṣa und als die höchste Wahrheit (paramārtha).

Word by Word

• पञ्चस्रोतसम्: the five-stream (place)
• पञ्चस्रोतसम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (goal of motion)

• आगम्य: having come/arrived
• आगम्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप (gerund/absolutive); ‘having come’

• कापिलम्: Kapila-related / of Kapila
• कापिलम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कापिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying ‘मण्डलम्’)

• मण्डलम्: circle/region/sphere
• मण्डलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying ‘मण्डलम्’)

• पुरुषावस्थम्: the state/condition of Puruṣa
• पुरुषावस्थम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुष + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘state of puruṣa’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying ‘परमार्थम्’)

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying ‘परमार्थम्’)

• परमार्थम्: the highest truth/ultimate reality
• परमार्थम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• न्यवेदयत्: he informed / taught / made known
• न्यवेदयत्: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√विद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-Dharma context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Puruṣa
• Avyakta

FAQs

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

It frames liberation-oriented teaching by pointing to the highest reality (paramārtha) through Sāṅkhya categories—especially the unmanifest (avyakta) and the Puruṣa-principle—guiding the seeker from phenomena to first principles.

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

Though expressed in Jñāna/Sāṅkhya language, it supports Bhakti by clarifying the transcendental ground (paramārtha) beyond manifest change; such clarity stabilizes devotion toward the supreme, not merely toward worldly forms.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught directly; the verse is primarily tattva-vicāra (philosophical discrimination) used in Moksha-Dharma instruction.