Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 111

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

नारायणार्चनस्यैते कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । किं वै वेदैर्मखैः शास्त्रैः किंवा तीर्थनिषेवणैः ॥ १११ ॥

Transliteration

nārāyaṇārcanasyaite kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm | kiṃ vai vedairmakhaiḥ śāstraiḥ kiṃvā tīrthaniṣevaṇaiḥ || 111 ||

Translation

These other practices do not merit even a sixteenth part of the fruit of worship of Nārāyaṇa. What use are the Vedas, sacrifices, śāstras, or even resort to sacred tīrthas, when set beside it?

Word by Word

• नारायण-अर्चनस्य: of Nārāyaṇa-worship
• नारायण-अर्चनस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — neuter, genitive singular; ‘of the worship of Nārāyaṇa’

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural; demonstrative pronoun

• कलाम्: a fraction/part
• कलाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — feminine, accusative singular

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अर्हन्ति: are worthy of/amount to
• अर्हन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — present indicative, 3rd person plural, active

• षोडशीम्: a sixteenth part
• षोडशीम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कलाम्) — feminine, accusative singular; ‘sixteenth’

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — neuter interrogative (what?)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वेदैः: with the Vedas
• वेदैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — masculine, instrumental plural

• मखैः: with sacrifices
• मखैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — masculine, instrumental plural

• शास्त्रैः: with treatises/scriptures
• शास्त्रैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — neuter, instrumental plural

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — neuter interrogative

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• तीर्थ-निषेवणैः: by visiting sacred places
• तीर्थ-निषेवणैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — neuter, instrumental plural; ‘by resorting to tīrthas’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It declares Nārāyaṇa-arcana (devotional worship of Viṣṇu) as supremely efficacious—so powerful that other religious merits are described as not even one-sixteenth in comparison.

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

Bhakti is presented as the highest, most direct means: sincere worship of Nārāyaṇa surpasses reliance on external authorities (texts) or merit-accumulating acts (yajña, tīrtha-sevā) when pursued without the core of devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It implicitly subordinates ritual performance (yajña) and śāstric learning—often supported by Vedāṅga disciplines like Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Vyākaraṇa (grammar for textual mastery)—to the lived practice of Nārāyaṇa worship.