Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 81

The Description of the Skanda Purāṇa’s Anukramaṇī

Index/Summary

Devanagari script

दंडपाणिज्ञानवाप्योरुद्भवः समनंतरम् । ततः कलावत्याख्यानं सदाचारनिरूपणम् ॥ ८१ ॥

Transliteration

daṃḍapāṇijñānavāpyorudbhavaḥ samanaṃtaram | tataḥ kalāvatyākhyānaṃ sadācāranirūpaṇam || 81 ||

Translation

Aussitôt après vient le récit de l’origine de Daṇḍapāṇi et du Jñāna-vāpī (le «puits de la connaissance»). Puis suit l’histoire de Kalāvatī, avec l’exposé du sadācāra, la juste conduite.

Word by Word

• दण्डपाणि: Daṇḍapāṇi (name)
• दण्डपाणि: Sambandha (समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘दण्डः पाणौ यस्य/दण्डपाणिः’ (रूढ-नाम)

• ज्ञानवाप्योः: from/of the two Jñānavāpī wells
• ज्ञानवाप्योः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानवापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचन (Gen./Loc. 6th/7th Dual) — ‘of/in the two Jñānavāpīs’; समासः: ज्ञान + वापी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘ज्ञानस्य वापी’)

• उद्भवः: origin/arising
• उद्भवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• समनन्तरम्: immediately thereafter
• समनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समनन्तरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb): ‘immediately/without interval’

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• कलावती: Kalāvatī (name)
• कलावती: Sambandha (समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (as first member in compound)

• आख्यानम्: narrative/story
• आख्यानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• कलावत्याख्यानम्: story of Kalāvatī
• कलावत्याख्यानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलावती + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘कलावत्याः आख्यानम्’

• सदाचार: good conduct
• सदाचार: Sambandha (समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप; कर्मधारयः: सत् + आचारः (‘good conduct’)

• निरूपणम्: exposition/description
• निरूपणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• सदाचारनिरूपणम्: exposition of good conduct
• सदाचारनिरूपणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदाचार + निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘सदाचारस्य निरूपणम्’

Speaker

Suta (Anukramanika-style narration summarizing contents)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Jñāna-vāpī
• Kalāvatī

FAQs

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

It functions as an anukramaṇikā (contents index), highlighting that sacred narratives (origins of holy figures/places like Jñāna-vāpī) are paired with dharma-instruction—especially sadācāra—so knowledge and conduct progress together.

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

Indirectly: by sequencing stories and sadācāra, it implies that devotion is supported by disciplined, ethical living—bhakti is not only sentiment but is stabilized through right conduct taught alongside purāṇic narratives.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse does not teach a specific Vedāṅga technique; its practical takeaway is dharma-practice through sadācāra—behavioral discipline that complements scriptural learning and purāṇic instruction.