Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13

Anadhyaya and the Winds: From Vedic Recitation Protocol to Sanatkumara’s Moksha-Upadesha

Devanagari script

सप्त ते वायुमार्गा वै तान्निबोधानुपूर्वशः । तत्र देवगणाः साध्याः समभूवन्महाबलाः ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

sapta te vāyumārgā vai tānnibodhānupūrvaśaḥ | tatra devagaṇāḥ sādhyāḥ samabhūvanmahābalāḥ || 13 ||

Translation

Wahrlich gibt es sieben Pfade des vāyu (Lebenshauchs); erkenne sie der Reihe nach. In jenen Pfaden/Regionen entstanden die machtvollen göttlichen Scharen, die Sādhyas genannt werden.

Word by Word

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (सप्त, संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral used adjectivally; (here) Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन) qualifying vāyumārgāḥ

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vāyu-mārgāḥ: paths of wind
• vāyu-mārgāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• tān: those (them)
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nibodha: know/understand
• nibodha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-budh (बुध् धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• anupūrvaśaḥ: in due order/serially
• anupūrvaśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anupūrvaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• deva-gaṇāḥ: groups of gods
• deva-gaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sādhyāḥ: the Sādhyas
• sādhyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); name of a class of deities

• samabhūvan: became/arose
• samabhūvan: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• mahā-balāḥ: greatly powerful
• mahā-balāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying devagaṇāḥ/sādhyāḥ

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vayu
• Sadhyas

FAQs

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

It links liberation-oriented teaching (mokṣa-dharma) with inner yogic anatomy: prāṇa/vāyu moves through ordered “paths,” and understanding this order is presented as a prerequisite for higher spiritual comprehension.

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

Indirectly: bhakti is stabilized when the mind becomes steady, and steadiness is supported by regulated prāṇa. By pointing to vāyu-mārgas, the text gestures to inner discipline that can make devotion focused and unwavering.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Not a Vedāṅga directly; rather, it reflects yogic-prāṇic doctrine used alongside dharma teachings—useful as applied spiritual practice supporting mantra-japa and meditation (a practical takeaway aligned with śikṣā-style attention to breath and sound).