Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43

Jyotiṣa-śāstra Saṅgraha: Threefold Division, Gaṇita Methods, Muhūrta, and Planetary Reckoning

Devanagari script

व्यस्तं गच्छतं फलं यद्गुणवर्गं भचहि तत् । व्येकं व्येकगुणाप्तं च प्राध्नं मानं गुणोत्तरे ॥ ४३ ॥

Transliteration

vyastaṃ gacchataṃ phalaṃ yadguṇavargaṃ bhacahi tat | vyekaṃ vyekaguṇāptaṃ ca prādhnaṃ mānaṃ guṇottare || 43 ||

Translation

When a result is to be obtained by a stepwise procedure, divide that result by the applied group of factors (guṇa-varga). Then, taking each factor singly, the corresponding measure is obtained; and in the higher operation involving factors, the principal measure is determined accordingly.

Word by Word

• व्यस्तम्: inverse/reciprocal
• व्यस्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यस्त (कृदन्त; √अस्/√स्था?; ‘वि-स्त’ भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (गणित-प्रयोगे) ‘व्यस्त’ = inverse/reciprocal

• गच्छतम्: going/obtaining (as it proceeds)
• गच्छतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle) ‘गच्छत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (sandhi form: गच्छतम्)

• फलम्: result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• गुणवर्गम्: the square of the multiplier (guṇa-varga)
• गुणवर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: गुणस्य वर्गः (square of the multiplier)

• भज: divide
• भज: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; (पाठे ‘भचहि’ इति)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेतौ/निश्चये (for emphasis/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्येकम्: the ‘vyeka’ term (difference/adjusted unit)
• व्येकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्येक (प्रातिपदिक; सम्भाव्यं ‘वि + एक’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पाठसन्देहः; गणिते ‘व्येक’ = difference/one less?)

• व्येकगुणाप्तम्: obtained by multiplying with vyeka
• व्येकगुणाप्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्येक + गुण + आप्त (कृदन्त; √आप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: व्येकगुणेन आप्तम् (प्राप्तम्/गुणित-फलम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्राध्नम्: principal/primary
• प्राध्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राध्न (प्रातिपदिक; दुर्लभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पाठसन्देहः; सम्भाव्यं ‘प्राधान्य’/‘प्रधान’)

• मानम्: measure/value (māna)
• मानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गुणोत्तरे: in the higher/next multiplier case
• गुणोत्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: गुणस्य उत्तरे (in the higher multiplier/next guṇa)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical-explanatory sequence)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It emphasizes disciplined discernment: just as a quantity is correctly known by reversing operations and isolating factors, spiritual understanding is clarified by analyzing causes, conditions, and their cumulative effects.

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

Indirectly, it supports bhakti practice by insisting on method and correctness—devotion becomes steady when one understands the proper ‘measures’ of conduct, effort, and the factors that strengthen or weaken one’s progress.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical, Vedanga-like computational principle (akin to gaṇita/measurement logic): to recover a base measure from a compounded result, divide by the applied factor-group and evaluate single-factor contributions.