Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 167

Graha–Ketu–Utpāta Lakṣaṇas: Solar/Lunar Omens, Comets, Eclipses, and Calendar Rules

Devanagari script

षष्ठः षष्ठश्चेतरेषां कालहोराधिपाः स्मृताः । सार्द्धनाडीद्वयेनैव दिवा रात्रौ यथाक्रमात् ॥ १६७ ॥

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhaḥ ṣaṣṭhaścetareṣāṃ kālahorādhipāḥ smṛtāḥ | sārddhanāḍīdvayenaiva divā rātrau yathākramāt || 167 ||

Translation

Der sechste (Herr) und wiederum der sechste unter den übrigen gelten als die Regenten der Zeitstunden (kāla-horā). Jede solche Stunde besteht aus zweieinhalb nāḍīs und tritt der Reihe nach bei Tag und bei Nacht ein.

Word by Word

• षष्ठः: the sixth
• षष्ठः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• षष्ठः: the sixth
• षष्ठः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• इतरेषाम्: of the others
• इतरेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; genitive plural ‘of the others’

• काल-होर-अधिपाः: the lords of the time-hours
• काल-होर-अधिपाः: कर्ता (Kartā/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + होरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘lords of time-hours (horā)’

• स्मृताः: are said/considered
• स्मृताः: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘are said/are remembered’ (passive sense)

• सार्द्ध-नाडी-द्वयेन: by (a duration of) one-and-a-half nāḍī-pair
• सार्द्ध-नाडी-द्वयेन: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्द्ध (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + नाडी (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; instrumental ‘by/with one-and-a-half nāḍī pair (i.e., 3 nāḍīs)’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb ‘by day’

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative singular ‘at night’

• यथा-क्रमात्: in order, respectively
• यथा-क्रमात्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; ‘in due order/according to sequence’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It frames time (kāla) as an ordered, knowable principle; by understanding its divisions and rulers, a practitioner aligns actions with dharma and disciplines the mind toward mokṣa-oriented living.

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

While technical, it supports bhakti in practice: devotion is strengthened when worship, japa, and vrata-observance are performed with awareness of proper time-order (yathākramāt), emphasizing reverence for cosmic rhythm under divine governance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa: the concept of kāla-horā (hour rulership) and the hora’s duration measured as two and a half nāḍīs, applied distinctly across day and night in sequential rotation.