Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50

Śuka’s Yoga-ascent, the Echo of ‘Bhoḥ’, and the Vaikuṇṭha Vision

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा भक्तिभावेन तुष्टाव मधुसूदनम् । शुक उवाच । नमस्ते वासुदेवाय सर्वलोकैकसाक्षिणे ॥ ५० ॥

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhaktibhāvena tuṣṭāva madhusūdanam | śuka uvāca | namaste vāsudevāya sarvalokaikasākṣiṇe || 50 ||

Translation

L’ayant vu, il loua Madhusūdana d’un cœur rempli de bhakti. Śuka dit : «Hommage à Vāsudeva, l’unique Témoin de tous les mondes !»

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म / Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे क्त्वा (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• भक्ति-भावेन: with a feeling of devotion
• भक्ति-भावेन: Karaṇa (करणम् / Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भक्तेः भावः)

• तुष्टाव: (he) praised
• तुष्टाव: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम; उपसर्गः: तु (intensive/augment in form tuṣṭāva as perfect of √stu)

• मधु-सूदनम्: Madhusūdana (slayer of Madhu)
• मधु-सूदनम्: Karma (कर्म / Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मधोः सूदनः)

• शुकः: Śuka
• शुकः: Karta (कर्ता / Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha/Prayojana (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), नमस्कारार्थक; प्रायः चतुर्थी-सम्बन्धे प्रयुज्यते

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदानम् / Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (enclitic), सर्वनाम; ‘नमः ते’ = ‘salutation to you’ (चतुर्थ्यर्थे)

• वासुदेवाय: to Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवाय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदानम् / Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• सर्व-लोक-एक-साक्षिणे: to the sole witness of all worlds
• सर्व-लोक-एक-साक्षिणे: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदानम् / Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां लोकानाम् एकः साक्षी)

Speaker

Śuka

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Characters & Entities

• Madhusudana
• Vasudeva
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

The verse highlights darśana (seeing the Lord) culminating in stuti (praise) born of bhakti, affirming Viṣṇu as the inner Witness (sākṣin) of all worlds—an essential Mokṣa-Dharma insight that liberation is grounded in God-centered awareness.

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

Bhakti is shown as an inner disposition (bhāva) that naturally expresses itself through praise and surrender (namas). The devotee’s response to the Lord’s presence is not mere ritual speech but heartfelt recognition of Vāsudeva’s all-pervading, witnessing reality.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

While not a technical Vedāṅga passage, it uses precise theological language—especially the compound sarva-loka-eka-sākṣin—illustrating disciplined Sanskrit compounding (vyākaraṇa awareness) used to convey a core doctrine: the Lord as universal Witness.