Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 58

Anūcāna (True Learning), the Vedāṅgas, and Śikṣā: Svara, Sāmavedic Chant, and Gandharva Theory

Devanagari script

काकलिर्दृश्यते यत्र प्राधान्यं पंचमस्य तु । कश्यपः कैशिकं प्राह मध्यमग्रामसंभवम् ॥ ५७ ॥

Transliteration

kākalirdṛśyate yatra prādhānyaṃ paṃcamasya tu | kaśyapaḥ kaiśikaṃ prāha madhyamagrāmasaṃbhavam || 57 ||

Translation

Wo der Ton namens kākalī wahrgenommen wird und der fünfte (pañcama) vorherrscht, erklärte Kaśyapa diesen Modus als Kaiśika, hervorgegangen aus dem madhyama-grāma (dem Ton-System des madhyama).

Word by Word

• काकलिः: the note/intonation ‘kākalī’
• काकलिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृश्यते: is seen/occurs
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• प्राधान्यम्: predominance, prominence
• प्राधान्यम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राधान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चमस्य: of the fifth (note)
• पञ्चमस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निपात (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• कश्यपः: Kaśyapa
• कश्यपः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कैशिकम्: the (mode/scale) ‘kaiśika’
• कैशिकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राह: said, declared
• प्राह: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अह्/ब्रू (धातु; परस्मैपद-पर्याय)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• मध्यमग्रामसंभवम्: arising from the madhyama-grāma (scale)
• मध्यमग्रामसंभवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम-ग्राम-सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक); मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘मध्यमग्रामात् सम्भवः’ (arising from the madhyama-grāma)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a technical exposition, citing Kaśyapa)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kaśyapa

FAQs

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

It highlights that sacred sound (nāda)—when correctly classified and rendered—has an ordered, knowable structure; such precision supports disciplined recitation and contemplative refinement rather than mere performance.

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

While technical, it indirectly serves bhakti by safeguarding the purity of sung/recited praise: when the right tonal emphasis (like pañcama predominance) is maintained, devotional chanting becomes steadier and more effective.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā-related acoustic/phonetic-musical knowledge: recognition of tonal features (kākalī), emphasis of a specific svara (pañcama), and classification by grāma (madhyama-grāma) into a named mode (Kaiśika).