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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

Anūcāna (True Learning), the Vedāṅgas, and Śikṣā: Svara, Sāmavedic Chant, and Gandharva Theory

उरः कंठः शिरश्चैव स्थानानि त्रीणि वाङ्मये । सवनान्याहुरेतानि साम वाप्यर्द्धतोंऽतरम् ॥ २० ॥

uraḥ kaṃṭhaḥ śiraścaiva sthānāni trīṇi vāṅmaye | savanānyāhuretāni sāma vāpyarddhatoṃ'taram || 20 ||

Dans la discipline de la parole sacrée, il est trois lieux d’émission : la poitrine, la gorge et la tête. On les proclame comme les trois savana ; et l’on dit aussi que le Sāman se tient dans l’intervalle médian entre eux.

उरःchest
उरः:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Member of list)
TypeNoun
Rootउरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
कण्ठःthroat
कण्ठः:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Member of list)
TypeNoun
Rootकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
शिरःhead
शिरः:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Member of list)
TypeNoun
Rootशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)
एवindeed/just
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)
स्थानानिplaces/positions
स्थानानि:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
त्रीणिthree
त्रीणि:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Attribute)
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (agreeing with स्थानानि)
वाङ्मयेin the domain of speech
वाङ्मये:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
TypeAdjective
Rootवाङ्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘in/with regard to speech’
सवनानिpressings/recitation-stages (savana)
सवनानि:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootसवन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
आहुःthey say/call
आहुः:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootअह्/आह् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
एतानिthese
एतानि:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Attribute)
TypeAdjective
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with सवनानि)
सामSāman (Sāma chant)
साम:
Vishaya (विषय/Topic)
TypeNoun
Rootसामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as topic/elliptic (with ‘in Sāman’)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक निपात (or)
अपिalso
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also/even)
अर्धतःhalfway/partly
अर्धतः:
Nimitta (निमित्त/Measure)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय — ‘from the half/halfway’
अन्तरम्intermediate
अन्तरम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘intermediate’ (elliptic with sthānāni/savanāni)

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

FAQs

It links inner discipline to liberation-teaching by showing that Vedic recitation is not merely verbal; it is a regulated movement of prāṇa and sound through defined centers (chest, throat, head), making speech a yogic instrument.

By emphasizing correct sacred utterance, it supports bhakti practices like nāma-japa and stotra-recitation: devotion becomes steady and effective when sound is produced with proper placement and reverence, rather than as casual speech.

It reflects Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics): the sthānas (articulation/resonance regions) and their relation to ritual structure (the three savanas), with a note on Sāma-chanting as an intermediate tonal/phonetic mode.