Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31

The Description of the Skanda Purāṇa’s Anukramaṇī

Index/Summary

Devanagari script

अग्न्यादितीर्थमाहात्म्यं वैनतेयशिलाभवम् । कारणं भगवद्वासे तीर्थं कापालमोचनम् ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

agnyāditīrthamāhātmyaṃ vainateyaśilābhavam | kāraṇaṃ bhagavadvāse tīrthaṃ kāpālamocanam || 31 ||

Translation

Il est dit la grandeur du tīrtha commençant par Agnyādi—issu du rocher lié à Vainateya (Garuḍa) ; c’est la cause de la demeure du Bhagavān en ce lieu, et c’est un tīrtha nommé « Kāpāla-mocana », qui délivre du lien du crâne, c’est-à-dire du péché.

Word by Word

• agni-ādi-tīrtha-māhātmyam: the glory of the Agni etc. tīrthas
• agni-ādi-tīrtha-māhātmyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—अग्न्यादीनां तीर्थाणां माहात्म्यम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• vainateya-śilā-bhavam: arising at/connected with the Vainateya rock
• vainateya-śilā-bhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vainateya (प्रातिपदिक) + śilā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—वैनतेयशिलायां भवम् (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषणम् (qualifier) māhātmyam इत्यस्य

• kāraṇam: the cause/reason
• kāraṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• bhagavat-vāse: in the Lord’s abode
• bhagavat-vāse: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; समासः—भगवतः वासे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• tīrtham: the sacred ford/place (tīrtha)
• tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• kāpāla-mocanam: the ‘release from the skull (sin)’ (Kāpāla-mocana)
• kāpāla-mocanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāpāla (प्रातिपदिक) + mocana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कापालस्य मोचनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषणम् (qualifier) tīrtham इत्यस्य

Speaker

Narada (within an Anukramanika-style summary addressed to the Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Garuḍa (Vainateya)
• Bhagavan (Vishnu)

FAQs

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

It identifies a specific tīrtha (Agnyādi/Kāpāla-mocana) and states its māhātmya: it is a sanctified place connected with Garuḍa’s rock and is portrayed as a cause for the Lord’s abiding presence, granting purification and release from grave sin.

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

By linking the tīrtha’s power to “bhagavad-vāsa” (the Lord’s dwelling), the verse frames pilgrimage and sacred geography as supports to Viṣṇu-centered devotion—where remembrance and worship at the Lord’s abode-oriented places intensify bhakti.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily kalpa-oriented practice: tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage observance) and understanding a place’s māhātmya as a ritual guide for purification and expiation (prāyaścitta) through prescribed sacred sites.