Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

Threefold Suffering, Twofold Knowledge, and the Definition of Bhagavān (Vāsudeva); Prelude to Keśidhvaja–Janaka Yoga

Devanagari script

शुद्धे महाविभूत्याख्ये परे ब्रह्मणि वर्त्तते । भगवन्भगवच्छब्दः सर्वकारणकारणे ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

śuddhe mahāvibhūtyākhye pare brahmaṇi varttate | bhagavanbhagavacchabdaḥ sarvakāraṇakāraṇe || 16 ||

Translation

Le mot « Bhagavān » s’emploie à l’égard du Brahman suprême—pur, dit détenteur de la grande majesté divine—qui demeure comme la Cause de toutes les causes.

Word by Word

• śuddhe: in the pure (state)
• śuddhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahā-vibhūti-ākhye: called ‘great glory’
• mahā-vibhūti-ākhye: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhūti (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); ākhya = “named/called”

• pare: in the supreme
• pare: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahmaṇi: in Brahman
• brahmaṇi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• varttate: exists/prevails
• varttate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (वृत्)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhagavan: O Bhagavan
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhagavat-śabdaḥ: the word ‘bhagavat’
• bhagavat-śabdaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक) + śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇe: in the cause of all causes
• sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-dharma discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Bhagavan

FAQs

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

It defines ‘Bhagavān’ as a name that properly belongs to the Supreme, perfectly pure Brahman—understood as the ultimate source behind every other cause—thereby grounding devotion and liberation in the highest metaphysical reality.

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

By identifying Bhagavān with Para Brahman, it teaches that devotion is not aimed at a limited deity but at the supreme ‘cause of all causes’; bhakti becomes a direct means of aligning the mind with the highest truth.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse primarily reflects Nirukta/Vyākaraṇa-style precision in defining a theological term (‘Bhagavān/ Bhagavat-śabdaḥ’) by its proper referent—Para Brahman—rather than prescribing a specific ritual or astrological rule.