Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

ताम्रशुक्लरक्तहरित्पीतचित्रासिता रवेः । वर्णा व अव्यहहरीद्रा शचीकौधिपारवेः ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

tāmraśuklaraktaharitpītacitrāsitā raveḥ | varṇā va avyahaharīdrā śacīkaudhipāraveḥ || 16 ||

Translation

Für Ravi (die Sonne) werden die Farben genannt: kupfern, weiß, rot, grün, gelb, bunt und dunkel. Ebenso sind auch bei den anderen die angegebenen Farben zu verstehen—etwa blassgelb wie Kurkuma und die Töne, die mit Śacī und dem ozeanisch-wässrigen Bereich verbunden sind.

Word by Word

• ताम्र-शुक्ल-रक्त-हरित्-पीत-चित्र-असिताः: coppery, white, red, green, yellow, variegated, and black (colors)
• ताम्र-शुक्ल-रक्त-हरित्-पीत-चित्र-असिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + हरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + पीत (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (list of colors)

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

• वर्णाः: colors
• वर्णाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• अव्यह-हरीद्राः: Avyahā and Haridrā (named hues)
• अव्यह-हरीद्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यह (प्रातिपदिक) + हरिद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘अव्यहा च हरिद्रा च’ (two named colors/terms)

• शची-कौधि-पारवेः: of Śacī-kau(d)hi-pārava (unclear term)
• शची-कौधि-पारवेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शची (प्रातिपदिक) + कौधि (प्रातिपदिक) + पारव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (named entity; reading uncertain)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Moksha Dharma/Vedic-science explanatory passage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Surya)
• Śacī (Indrāṇī)

FAQs

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

It links cosmic order to recognizable signs (like colours), encouraging a dharmic, contemplative view of the grahas as parts of Īśvara’s regulated universe rather than as random forces.

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

Indirectly: by presenting the cosmos as structured and meaningful, it supports bhakti-based reverence toward the divine governance behind the luminaries, which aligns worldly observation with worshipful awareness.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology): the verse provides colour-identifiers used in traditional graha descriptions and observational/ritual contexts.