Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 63

योगस्वरूप-धारणा-समाधि-वर्णनम् (केशिध्वजोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

ततः शङ्खगदाचक्रशार्ङ्गादिरहितं बुधः । चिन्तयेद्भगवद्रू पं प्रशान्तं साक्षसूत्रकम् ॥ ६३ ॥

Transliteration

tataḥ śaṅkhagadācakraśārṅgādirahitaṃ budhaḥ | cintayedbhagavadrū paṃ praśāntaṃ sākṣasūtrakam || 63 ||

Translation

Then the wise person should contemplate the form of the Blessed Lord as free from the conch, mace, discus, and Śārṅga bow and the like—utterly tranquil, and directly bearing the sacred thread.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय): ‘then/thereafter’

• śaṅkha-gadā-cakra-śārṅga-ādi-rahitam: devoid of conch, mace, discus, Śārṅga, etc.
• śaṅkha-gadā-cakra-śārṅga-ādi-rahitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkha + gadā + cakra + śārṅga + ādi + rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘devoid of conch, mace, discus, Śārṅga, etc.’

• budhaḥ: the wise person
• budhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• cintayet: should meditate
• cintayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• bhagavat-rūpam: the Lord’s form
• bhagavat-rūpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘form of the Lord’

• praśāntam: peaceful, tranquil
• praśāntam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; pra-√śam (धातु) क्त)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); PPP used adjectivally

• sākṣa-sūtrakam: wearing the sacred thread
• sākṣa-sūtrakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sūtraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘having the sacred thread (sūtra)’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada within Moksha-dharma teaching context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Bhagavan

FAQs

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

It directs the meditator from iconic, weapon-bearing imagery to a calmer, attribute-minimized contemplation of Bhagavan—supporting inward stillness (praśānti) as a means toward moksha.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as focused upāsanā: lovingly holding the Lord’s serene presence in the mind, emphasizing intimacy and peace over external grandeur.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It implicitly reflects ritual identity through the yajñopavīta (sacred thread), linking inner meditation with Vaidika discipline (ācāra), though no specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this verse.