Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

Śrāddha-prayoga: Niyama, Brāhmaṇa-parīkṣā, Kutapa-kāla, Tithi-nyāya, and Vaiṣṇava-phala

Devanagari script

सनक उवाच । श्रृणुष्व मुनिशार्दूल श्राद्धस्य विधिमुत्तमम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

sanaka uvāca | śrṛṇuṣva muniśārdūla śrāddhasya vidhimuttamam | yacchrutvā sarvapāpebhyo mucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ || 1 ||

Translation

Sanaka sprach: „O Tiger unter den Weisen, höre die höchste Vorschrift des Śrāddha; wer sie vernimmt, wird von allen Sünden befreit — daran besteht kein Zweifel.“

Word by Word

• सनकः: Sanaka
• सनकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मुनि-शार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• मुनि-शार्दूल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—मुनिः एव शार्दूलः (tiger among sages)

• श्राद्धस्य: of the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• विधिम्: the procedure/rule
• विधिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of विधिम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun: which)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सर्व-पापेभ्यः: from all sins
• सर्व-पापेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अत्र: here/in this
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: here/in this matter)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanaka

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Secondary Rasa: karuna (compassion)

Characters & Entities

• Sanaka

FAQs

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

It frames Śrāddha as a powerful dharmic practice: even hearing its proper method is said to remove sin, emphasizing faith, śruti-based procedure, and reverence for Pitṛs.

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

Indirectly: it highlights śravaṇa (devotional listening) as transformative—hearing sacred instruction with sincerity becomes a purifying act aligned with bhakti-oriented practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) is foregrounded—“vidhi” points to correct liturgical method for Śrāddha, including rule-based performance and prescribed injunctions.