Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 89

Sṛṣṭi-pralaya-kathana: Mahābhūta-guṇāḥ, Vṛkṣa-indriya-vādaḥ, Prāṇa-vāyu-vyavasthā

Devanagari script

एवं षोडशविस्तारो ज्योतीरुपगुणः स्मृतः । तत्रैकगुणमाकाशं शब्द इत्येव तत्स्मृतम् ॥ ८९ ॥

Transliteration

evaṃ ṣoḍaśavistāro jyotīrupaguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | tatraikaguṇamākāśaṃ śabda ityeva tatsmṛtam || 89 ||

Translation

Así, el principio luminoso (tejas) es recordado como poseedor de una expansión de cualidades en dieciséis formas. Entre ellas, se dice que ākāśa (éter/espacio) tiene una sola cualidad: el sonido (śabda).

Word by Word

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (प्रकारवाचक)

• ṣoḍaśa-vistāraḥ: the sixteenfold extent
• ṣoḍaśa-vistāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣoḍaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vistāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; dvigu-samāsa (द्विगुसमास) ‘having sixteen as extent’

• jyotiḥ-rūpa-guṇaḥ: the quality whose form is light
• jyotiḥ-rūpa-guṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa sense: ‘guṇaḥ (quality) of (having) the form of light’ (ज्योतीरूपस्य गुणः)

• smṛtaḥ: is declared
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (क्त, past passive participle)
• Form: Kṛdanta (PPP/क्त); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmāṇi-prayoga sense ‘is said/considered’

• tatra: therein
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; deśa-avyaya/adverb (देशवाचक)

• eka-guṇam: having one quality
• eka-guṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya ‘one quality’

• ākāśam: ether (ākāśa)
• ākāśam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• śabdaḥ: sound
• śabdaḥ: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotative particle (इति-प्रयोग)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphasis particle (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• smṛtam: is stated
• smṛtam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (क्त, PPP)
• Form: Kṛdanta (PPP/क्त); Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ‘is said/remembered’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha Dharma dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It grounds moksha-teaching in tattva-viveka (discernment of principles): by knowing that ākāśa is defined by the single guṇa of sound, the seeker learns to separate the Self from elemental properties and reduce identification with sensory attributes.

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

While primarily a knowledge (jñāna) verse, it supports bhakti by refining attention: recognizing sound as the key quality of ākāśa helps one treat sacred sound (nāma, mantra, stotra) as a disciplined medium, not mere sensory entertainment, thereby stabilizing devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse aligns with Vedic cosmology used in nirukta and śikṣā contexts: it links śabda (sound/phoneme) with ākāśa, reinforcing why precise sound-production and recitation (śikṣā) matter in mantra and Vedic study.