Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3
Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam
The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya
सनक उवाच । शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि कथामेतां सनातनीम् । विष्णुभक्तिसमायुक्तां मार्कण्डेयमुनिं प्रति ॥ ३ ॥
sanaka uvāca | śṛṇu nārada vakṣyāmi kathāmetāṃ sanātanīm | viṣṇubhaktisamāyuktāṃ mārkaṇḍeyamuniṃ prati || 3 ||
Sanaka said: Listen, O Nārada; I shall narrate to you this eternal account—filled with devotion (bhakti) to Viṣṇu—concerning the sage Mārkaṇḍeya.
Sanaka
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It establishes the verse’s authority and purpose: an “eternal” (sanātanī) teaching transmitted through rishi lineage, centered on Viṣṇu-bhakti as a direct means toward spiritual upliftment and liberation-oriented understanding.
By explicitly describing the forthcoming account as “endowed with devotion to Viṣṇu” (viṣṇu-bhakti-samāyuktā), it signals that the narrative itself is a vehicle for bhakti—hearing (śravaṇa) and receiving the tradition become devotional practice.
The verse primarily highlights itihāsa–purāṇa style transmission and the discipline of śravaṇa (listening) rather than a specific Vedāṅga; its practical takeaway is the method of learning—receiving dharma and devotion through authoritative oral narration.