Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11

अतर्क्यचरितं वेदाः स्तुवन्ति कथमादरात् । जीवो जीवत्वमुल्लंघ्य कथं ब्रह्म समन्वयात् ॥ ११ ॥

atarkyacaritaṃ vedāḥ stuvanti kathamādarāt | jīvo jīvatvamullaṃghya kathaṃ brahma samanvayāt || 11 ||

Comment les Veda, avec un respect fervent, louent-ils Celui dont la manière d’être dépasse le raisonnement ? Et comment le jīva, transcendant sa condition de jīva, peut-il devenir Brahman par le véritable samanvaya (intégration) ?

अतर्क्य-चरितम्the inconceivable conduct/nature
अतर्क्य-चरितम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootअतर्क्य (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—अतर्क्यं चरितम् (कर्मधारय)
वेदाःthe Vedas
वेदाः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
स्तुवन्तिpraise
स्तुवन्ति:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootस्तु (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
कथम्how
कथम्:
Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
आदरात्out of reverence
आदरात्:
Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
TypeNoun
Rootआदर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from/through reverence)
जीवःthe individual soul
जीवः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootजीव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
जीवत्वम्the state of being a jīva
जीवत्वम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootजीवत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
उल्लङ्घ्यhaving transcended
उल्लङ्घ्य:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया/gerundial)
TypeVerb
Rootउद्+लङ्घ् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having transcended)
कथम्how
कथम्:
Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
ब्रह्मBrahman
ब्रह्म:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; Nom/Acc), एकवचन; रूपसाम्य (syncretic form)
समन्वयात्through synthesis/connection
समन्वयात्:
Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
TypeNoun
Rootसमन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; उपाय/हेतुवाचक (by/through proper connection)

Narada (questioning Sanatkumara)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: jijnasa (inquisitive shanta)

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

V
Vedas
B
Brahman
J
Jiva

FAQs

It frames a core Moksha-Dharma problem: Brahman is beyond mere tarka (argument), yet the Vedas still indicate and praise It; liberation involves the jiva dropping limited self-identity (jīvatva) and aligning with Brahman through right understanding and realization (samanvaya).

By stressing that the highest truth is not captured by dry reasoning alone, it supports a Bhakti-friendly stance: reverent approach (ādara) to Vedic revelation and surrender of egoic separateness (jīvatva) are essential for union with Brahman—often expressed in Narada Purana as devotion to Vishnu as the accessible doorway to the transcendent.

It points to Vedānta-style samanvaya (reconciliation) as a method: interpreting Vedic statements in a coherent synthesis rather than isolated debate—an applied hermeneutic discipline closely tied to Vyākaraṇa (precision of meaning) and Mīmāṃsā/Vedānta reasoning used to align scripture with direct realization.