Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 72

The Exposition of Spiritual Knowledge

Jñāna-pradarśanam

Devanagari script

गते बहुतिथे काले वेदमालिर्मुनीश्वर । वाराणसीपुरं प्राप्य परं मोक्षमवाप्तवान् ॥ ७२ ॥

Transliteration

gate bahutithe kāle vedamālirmunīśvara | vārāṇasīpuraṃ prāpya paraṃ mokṣamavāptavān || 72 ||

Translation

Nachdem lange Zeit vergangen war, o Herr unter den Weisen, erreichte Vedamālī die Stadt Vārāṇasī und erlangte die höchste Befreiung.

Word by Word

• गते: when (it) had passed
• गते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) used in locative absolute with ‘काले’

• बहु: many/much
• बहु: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• तिथे: tithis (lunar days)
• तिथे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; in compound with बहु-

• काले: in time / when time
• काले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; with ‘गते’ forms सप्तमी-समास/सप्तमी-absolute sense: ‘when much time had passed’

• वेदमालिः: Vedamāli
• वेदमालिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मुनीश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनीश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• वाराणसीपुरम्: the city of Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीपुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘city of Vārāṇasī’

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having reached’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अवाप्तवान्: attained
• अवाप्तवान्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु) → अवाप्तवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्तवत्-प्रत्यय (perfect participle active) used predicatively = ‘he attained’

Speaker

Narada (narrating within the Purva Bhaga dialogue tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vedamali
• Varanasi

FAQs

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

It presents Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) as a mokṣa-prada kṣetra: merely reaching the sacred city, the sage Vedamāli attains supreme liberation, highlighting the purifying power of a tirtha.

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

While bhakti is not named directly, the verse implies a life ripened over time and fulfilled by approaching a holy kṣetra—typically associated with devotion, worship, and surrender—culminating in mokṣa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Chandas, Nirukta, Jyotiṣa, Kalpa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is tirtha-yātrā as a dharmic practice oriented toward liberation.