Shloka 5

The Prayers of the Personified Vedas (Śruti-stuti) and the Indescribable Absolute

Devanagari script

एकदा नारदो लोकान् पर्यटन् भगवत्प्रिय: । सनातनमृषिं द्रष्टुं ययौ नारायणाश्रमम् ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

ekadā nārado lokān paryaṭan bhagavat-priyaḥ sanātanam ṛṣiṁ draṣṭuṁ yayau nārāyaṇāśramam

Translation

Once, while traveling through the various worlds, Nārada—the Lord’s beloved devotee—went to Nārāyaṇa’s āśrama to behold the primeval sage Nārāyaṇa.

Synonyms

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: once)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लोकान्: worlds/regions
• लोकान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पर्यटन्: wandering about
• पर्यटन्: Karta (कर्ता/Agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-टट्/अट् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; ‘नारदः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भगवत्-प्रियः: dear to the Lord
• भगवत्-प्रियः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भगवतः प्रियः); विशेषणम् (नारदः)

• सनातनम्: eternal/ancient
• सनातनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ऋषिम्)

• ऋषिम्: the sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तुमुन् (infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नारायण-आश्रमम्: Nārāyaṇa’s hermitage
• नारायण-आश्रमम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नारायणस्य आश्रमः)

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Sanātana Ṛṣi
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

Why does Nārada Muni travel through the worlds in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse shows Nārada as a divine devotee-sage who moves freely among worlds to further devotion and to meet and inspire great saints.

Where is Nārāyaṇāśrama (Badrikāśrama) mentioned in Bhagavatam Canto 10?

Here it is identified as Nārāyaṇa’s hermitage, the sacred place Nārada visits to see the eternal sage Sanātana.

How can a modern seeker apply the lesson of this shloka?

Seek holy association intentionally—like Nārada going to meet a realized sage—and make spiritual progress by visiting sacred places and learning from saintly teachers.