Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
Nārada’s Hymn to Viṣṇu
Nāradasya Viṣṇu-stavaḥ
व्योमादिभिर्भूषितमात्मसंज्ञं निरंजनं नित्यममेयतत्त्वम् । जगद्विधातारमकर्मकं च परं पुराणं पुरुषं नतोऽस्मि ॥ ३१ ॥
vyomādibhirbhūṣitamātmasaṃjñaṃ niraṃjanaṃ nityamameyatattvam | jagadvidhātāramakarmakaṃ ca paraṃ purāṇaṃ puruṣaṃ nato'smi || 31 ||
I bow to the Supreme, primeval Person—the highest Purāṇa—adorned with space and the other cosmic principles; known as the Self, stainless, eternal, of immeasurable reality; the ordainer of the universe, and yet actionless.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse functions as a Vedāntic-style salutation: it identifies the Supreme Person as the inner Self (Ātman), eternally pure and immeasurable, who governs creation without being bound by karma—guiding the reader toward devotion grounded in non-dual spiritual insight.
Bhakti here is expressed as śaraṇāgati (reverent surrender): Narada bows to the Supreme Purusha described with exalted attributes (stainless, eternal, creator yet actionless), teaching that true devotion contemplates God’s transcendence while offering humble obeisance.
No specific Vedāṅga technique (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; however, it uses precise cosmological terminology (vyoma and “ādi”) typical of sāṅkhya/vedic creation categories, useful for correctly interpreting Purāṇic cosmology in recitation and study.