Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48

Jyotiṣa-śāstra Saṅgraha: Threefold Division, Gaṇita Methods, Muhūrta, and Planetary Reckoning

Devanagari script

द्विघ्नं जीवाथ जीवार्द्धवर्गे शरहृते युते । व्यासोष्टतेभवेदेवं प्रोक्तं गणितकोविदैः ॥ ४८ ॥

Transliteration

dvighnaṃ jīvātha jīvārddhavarge śarahṛte yute | vyāsoṣṭatebhavedevaṃ proktaṃ gaṇitakovidaiḥ || 48 ||

Translation

« D’abord, double la quantité appelée jīva; puis ajoute-la au carré de la moitié de jīva, et ajoute encore la valeur obtenue après avoir retranché cinq. Ainsi le résultat devient “vingt-huit” », telle est l’énonciation des connaisseurs en mathématiques.

Word by Word

• द्विघ्नम्: doubled
• द्विघ्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, हन् धातोः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; कृदन्त विशेषण (doubled)

• जीवा: the chord
• जीवा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• जीवा-अर्ध-वर्गे: in the square of half the chord
• जीवा-अर्ध-वर्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• शर-हृते: after subtracting the arrow (sagitta)
• शर-हृते: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक) + हृत (कृदन्त, हृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; अर्थः—शरेण हृत (subtracted by the arrow)

• युते: when added
• युते: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, युज् धातोः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (added/combined)

• व्यासः: the diameter
• व्यासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उष्टते: (resulting) measure/value (technical)
• उष्टते: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्टत (प्रातिपदिक; technical/rare term)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; दुर्लभ-प्रयोग (rare technical form)

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• प्रोक्तम्: stated/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• गणित-कोविदैः: by experts in mathematics
• गणित-कोविदैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणित (प्रातिपदिक) + कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical/vedāṅga-style exposition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It shows that Moksha-Dharma teaching in the Narada Purana also preserves śāstric disciplines like gaṇita—training the mind in precision, pramāṇa (valid measurement), and disciplined reasoning that supports higher inquiry.

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

This specific verse is not a bhakti instruction; it is a technical gaṇita rule. In the wider Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue, such disciplines function as supportive knowledge, while devotion to Vishnu remains the primary liberating path.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Gaṇita-style computation using symbolic numerals (e.g., śara = 5) and algebraic operations (doubling, squaring, adding/subtracting) is highlighted—useful for calendrics, astronomy (jyotiṣa), and ritual measurements.