Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 120

Jyotiṣa-saṅgraha: Varga-vibhāga, Bala-nirṇaya, Garbha-phala, Āyuḥ-gaṇanā

Devanagari script

अंशायुः सबले लग्ने तत्साधनमथो श्रृणु । गोब्जास्तत्त्वतिथी सूर्यास्तिथिः स्वर्गा नखाः क्रमात् ॥ १२० ॥

Transliteration

aṃśāyuḥ sabale lagne tatsādhanamatho śrṛṇu | gobjāstattvatithī sūryāstithiḥ svargā nakhāḥ kramāt || 120 ||

Translation

Wenn der Aszendent (lagna) mit Stärke versehen ist, wird die Lebensdauer nach Graden (aṃśa) bestimmt. Nun höre die Methode der Berechnung: der Reihe nach bezeichnen ‘go’, ‘abja’, ‘tattva’, ‘tithi’, ‘sūrya’, ‘tithi’, ‘svarga’ und ‘nakha’ die nacheinander zu nehmenden Zahlen.

Word by Word

• aṃśa-āyuḥ: fractional lifespan
• aṃśa-āyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa + āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अंशेन मितम् आयुः) — neuter, nominative singular

• sa-bale: with strength/when strong
• sa-bale: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सह बले) — locative singular adjective

• lagne: in the ascendant
• lagne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lagna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन — neuter, locative singular

• tat-sādhanam: its method/means
• tat-sādhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat + sādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य साधनम्) — neuter nom/acc singular

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/now)

• śṛṇu: hear
• śṛṇu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — imperative, 2nd person singular

• go-abjāḥ: cow and lotus (as number-words)
• go-abjāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go + abja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (गो + अब्ज) — masculine, nominative plural

• tattva-tithī: tattva and tithi (number-words)
• tattva-tithī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva + tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (तत्त्वस्य तिथिः) — feminine, nominative dual

• sūrya-astithiḥ: sun and ‘astithi’ (number-words)
• sūrya-astithiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya + astithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सूर्यस्य अस्तिथिः) — feminine, nominative singular

• svargāḥ: heavens (as number-word)
• svargāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural

• nakhāḥ: nails (as number-word)
• nakhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural

• kramāt: in sequence
• kramāt: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — ‘in order/ क्रमशः’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within a technical/vedāṅga-style passage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Surya

FAQs

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

It shows that the Purana transmits not only devotion and moksha-dharma but also disciplined, rule-based knowledge (vedāṅga-style), where correct calculation and method are treated as part of dharmic order.

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

This verse is primarily technical (jyotiṣa-style) rather than explicitly devotional; indirectly, it supports bhakti practice by organizing life and duty through structured knowledge used in dharmic living.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa/astronomical-astrological computation: it references lagna strength and uses coded number-words (bhūta-saṅkhyā) like ‘go’, ‘abja’, ‘tattva’, ‘tithi’, ‘sūrya’, ‘svarga’, and ‘nakha’ for stepwise calculation.