Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 112

The Explanation of Sandhyā and Related Daily Observances

Saṅdhyā-ādi Nitya-karma-Vidhi

Devanagari script

कूर्मेशः कमठीयुक्तो भूतमात्रैकनेत्रकः । लम्बोदर्या चतुर्वक्त्रो ह्यजेशो द्राविणीयुतः ॥ ११२ ॥

Transliteration

kūrmeśaḥ kamaṭhīyukto bhūtamātraikanetrakaḥ | lambodaryā caturvaktro hyajeśo drāviṇīyutaḥ || 112 ||

Translation

Il est Kūrmeśa, le Seigneur sous la forme de la Tortue ; pourvu de la puissance de cette forme ; l’Un-Œil parmi tous les êtres ; au ventre pendant ; aux quatre visages ; en vérité le Seigneur de l’Inengendré (Ajā), Brahmā ; et accompagné de Drāviṇī, déesse de la richesse et de l’abondance.

Word by Word

• कूर्मेशः: Kūrmeśa (Lord of the Tortoise)
• कूर्मेशः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कूर्मस्य ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कमठीयुक्तः: joined with Kamaṭhī
• कमठीयुक्तः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमठी + युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युक्त (क्त, √युज्); कमठ्या सह युक्तः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• भूतमात्रैकनेत्रकः: Ekanetraka related to all beings
• भूतमात्रैकनेत्रकः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-मात्र-एक-नेत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतमात्रे एकः नेत्रकः (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-भाव; बहुपद-समास)

• लम्बोदर्या: with Lambodarī
• लम्बोदर्या: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लम्ब-उदरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; लम्बः उदरः यस्याः सा (कर्मधारय)

• चतुर्वक्त्रः: Four-faced (Caturvaktra)
• चतुर्वक्त्रः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्-वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्य (द्विगु/बहुव्रीहि-प्राय; रूपेण द्विगु)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अजेशः: Ajeśa (Lord of the Unborn)
• अजेशः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अजस्य ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• द्राविणीयुतः: endowed with Drāviṇī
• द्राविणीयुतः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्राविणी + युत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युत (क्त, √यु/युज्); द्राविण्या सह युतः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Nārada (in an instructional listing within the Vedāṅga/technical section, traditionally in dialogue frame with Sanatkumāra)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma (Vishnu as the Tortoise)
• Brahmā (Ajéśa)
• Drāviṇī (wealth/abundance personified)

FAQs

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

It compresses multiple divine epithets into a single verse, pointing to the one Supreme reality approached through different forms—Vishnu’s Kūrma aspect, Brahmā’s four-faced creative station, and wealth as divine śakti—useful for contemplation and ritual identification.

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

Bhakti is supported here by nāma-smaraṇa (remembrance of divine names): meditating on forms like Kūrmeśa and attributes like caturvaktra provides concrete supports (ālambana) for devotion and focused worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse functions like a devatā-nirdeśa (deity/epithet indexing) used in mantra application—helpful for ritual precision and for Vyākaraṇa/Nirukta-style understanding of names and their implied iconography.