Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

विमलोत्कर्षिणी ज्ञाना क्रिया योगा ततः परा । प्रह्वी सत्या तथेशाननुग्रहा नवमी मता ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

vimalotkarṣiṇī jñānā kriyā yogā tataḥ parā | prahvī satyā tatheśānanugrahā navamī matā || 40 ||

Translation

The ninth power (śakti) is held to be: Vimalotkarṣiṇī, Jñānā, Kriyā, Yogā, and then the Supreme, Parā; also Prahvī, Satyā, and likewise Īśāna-anugrahā—the Lord’s gracious favor.

Word by Word

• vimala-utkarṣiṇī: purely elevating
• vimala-utkarṣiṇī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक) + utkarṣiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः: vimalā ca sā utkarṣiṇī ca (pure and elevating)

• jñānā: (the) knowledge (stage)
• jñānā: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kriyā: (the) action/ritual (stage)
• kriyā: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• yogā: (the) yoga (stage)
• yogā: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla (काल/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), ‘then/thereafter’

• parā: supreme/higher
• parā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies an implied feminine noun (e.g., bhūmiḥ/avasthā)

• prahvī: humble/bowed
• prahvī: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prahvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• satyā: truthful
• satyā: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/adverb (अव्यय), ‘also/likewise’

• īśāna-anugrahā: the Lord’s grace
• īśāna-anugrahā: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक) + anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: īśānasya anugrahaḥ (grace of the Lord)

• navamī: ninth
• navamī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ordinal adjective ‘ninth’

• matā: is regarded (as)
• matā: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु) → mata (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृदन्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular; used predicatively: ‘is considered’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ishana (the Lord)

FAQs

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

It presents a graded cluster of inner disciplines—purity, knowledge, ritual action, yoga, humility, truth—and culminates them in the decisive factor of liberation: the Lord’s grace (Īśāna-anugrahā).

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

By emphasizing prahvī (humble surrender) and Īśāna-anugrahā (divine favor), it implies that devotion is perfected when personal effort (jnana/kriya/yoga) ripens into receptivity to the Lord’s grace.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kriyā indicates disciplined sacred performance aligned with Vedic procedure (kalpa/ritual method), while jñānā and yogā show that technical practice must be integrated with correct understanding and inner concentration for spiritual efficacy.