Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

The Greatness of Viṣṇu

Uttaṅka’s Hymn, Hari’s Manifestation, and the Boon of Bhakti

Devanagari script

सद्भावं सच्चिदानन्दं तं वन्दे तिग्मचक्रिणम् । अजरं साक्षिणं त्वस्य ह्यवाङ्मनसगोचरम् ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

sadbhāvaṃ saccidānandaṃ taṃ vande tigmacakriṇam | ajaraṃ sākṣiṇaṃ tvasya hyavāṅmanasagocaram || 16 ||

Translation

I bow to that sharp-disc-bearing Lord—whose true nature is pure Being, Consciousness, and Bliss; who is unborn and unaging, the inner Witness of all, and who is indeed beyond the reach of speech and mind.

Word by Word

• सद्भावम्: true being, real existence
• सद्भावम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सतः भावः’

• सत्-चित्-आनन्दम्: being-consciousness-bliss
• सत्-चित्-आनन्दम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative): ‘sat, cit, ānanda’ as a triad

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वन्दे: I worship, I salute
• वन्दे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तिग्म-चक्रिणम्: the wielder of the sharp discus
• तिग्म-चक्रिणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिग्म (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘तिग्मं चक्रं यस्य’ (one with a sharp discus)

• अजरम्: unaging
• अजरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• साक्षिणम्: witness
• साक्षिणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषणार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• अस्य: of this (one)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अवाक्-मनस्-गोचरम्: beyond speech and mind
• अवाक्-मनस्-गोचरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवाक् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्/अव्ययपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषार्थः: ‘वाचः मनसः च अगोचरः’ (beyond speech and mind)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Sudarshana Chakra

FAQs

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

It identifies Vishnu as Saccidānanda—the ultimate reality—while emphasizing His transcendence as the inner Witness who cannot be fully grasped by ordinary speech or thought.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent surrender (vande) to Vishnu’s supreme nature; devotion is grounded not only in form (the discus-bearer) but also in realization of His formless, witnessing, transcendent essence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this verse; its practical takeaway is contemplative discipline—restraining speech and mind in worship to approach the Witness beyond conceptualization.