Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 156

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

तत्त्वावृत्तिस्वरूपापि नित्यावृत्तिवपुर्द्धरा ॥ १५६ ॥

Transliteration

tattvāvṛttisvarūpāpi nityāvṛttivapurddharā || 156 ||

Translation

Obwohl ihre Natur die Hinwendung (vṛtti) zu den wahren Prinzipien (tattva) ist, trägt sie eine Gestalt, die stets in wiederkehrender Tätigkeit steht — nitya-vṛtti.

Word by Word

• tattva-āvṛtti-svarūpā: whose nature is tattva-āvṛtti
• tattva-āvṛtti-svarūpā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः ('whose nature is tattva-āvṛtti')

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): अपि = 'also/even'

• nitya-āvṛtti-vapuḥ-dharā: bearer of the body of nitya-āvṛtti
• nitya-āvṛtti-vapuḥ-dharā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + vapuḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + dharā (धरा, कृदन्त from √dhṛ धृ (धातु), अ-प्रत्यय/कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः ('bearer of a body of nitya-āvṛtti')

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Vedanga/technical section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

FAQs

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

It highlights that true knowledge is not merely conceptual: it must repeatedly return to tattva (first principles) and be sustained through constant practice, making realization stable rather than occasional.

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

By implying nitya-āvṛtti—steady, repeated engagement—it supports the bhakti principle of continuous remembrance and practice (abhyāsa), where devotion becomes an enduring disposition rather than an intermittent emotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to the pedagogical method central to Vedic study—āvṛtti (repetition/recitation and revision)—through which śabda, meaning, and doctrine are retained and refined in disciplines like Śikṣā and Vyākaraṇa.