Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 120

गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

स गतस्तद्बिलद्वारे दृष्ट्वा तं मुनिपुङ्गवम् । कपिलं तेजसां राशिं साष्टाङ्गं प्रणनाम ह ॥ १२० ॥

Transliteration

sa gatastadbiladvāre dṛṣṭvā taṃ munipuṅgavam | kapilaṃ tejasāṃ rāśiṃ sāṣṭāṅgaṃ praṇanāma ha || 120 ||

Translation

Having gone to the entrance of that cave and seeing Kapila, foremost of sages—a veritable heap of radiant spiritual power—he bowed down to him with the eightfold prostration.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (भूतकर्मणि/गतः = having gone)

• तत्-बिल-द्वारे: at the entrance of that cave
• तत्-बिल-द्वारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + बिल (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य बिलस्य द्वारम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया/gerund)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनि-पुङ्गवम्: the foremost of sages
• मुनि-पुङ्गवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां पुङ्गवः)

• कपिलम्: Kapila
• कपिलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेजसाम्: of splendors/energies
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• राशिम्: a heap/mass
• राशिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स-अष्टाङ्गम्: with eight limbs (prostrating fully)
• स-अष्टाङ्गम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + अष्टाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (सह अष्टाङ्गैः) क्रियाविशेषणार्थे

• प्रणनाम: bowed down
• प्रणनाम: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/expletive particle)

Speaker

Suta (narrator)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kapila

FAQs

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

The verse highlights guru-vandana (reverence to realized sages): approaching a holy teacher with humility and aṣṭāṅga-pranāma is presented as the proper gateway to receiving higher knowledge and purification.

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

Bhakti begins with surrender and respect—here expressed as full-bodied prostration to a radiant sage—showing that devotion is not only toward Vishnu but also toward His saints and teachers who embody dharma and tapas.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It implicitly reflects kalpa/ācāra (ritual conduct): the prescribed etiquette of approaching a venerable rishi—offering aṣṭāṅga-pranāma—before inquiry, teaching, or receiving mantras and instructions.