Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 124

The Exposition of Nṛsiṁha Worship-Mantras, Nyāsa, Mudrās, Yantras, Kavaca, and Nṛsiṁha Gāyatrī

Devanagari script

अधश्च पद्मनाभो मे सहस्रांशुसमप्रभः । सर्वायुधः सर्वशक्तिः सर्वाद्यःसर्वतोमुखः ॥ १२४ ॥

Transliteration

adhaśca padmanābho me sahasrāṃśusamaprabhaḥ | sarvāyudhaḥ sarvaśaktiḥ sarvādyaḥsarvatomukhaḥ || 124 ||

Translation

Au-dessous de moi se tient Padmanābha, rayonnant comme mille soleils : portant toutes les armes, possédant toutes les puissances, source primordiale de tout, et tournant son visage vers toutes les directions.

Word by Word

• adhaḥ: below, downward
• adhaḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• padma-nābhaḥ: Padmanābha
• padma-nābhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक) + nābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi 'whose navel is a lotus'

• me: of me / my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Ṣaṣṭhī (6th case/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; enclitic form

• sahasra-aṃśu-sama-prabhaḥ: radiant like a thousand rays
• sahasra-aṃśu-sama-prabhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक) + prabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa 'having radiance equal to a thousand rays (sunbeams)'

• sarva-āyudhaḥ: armed with all weapons
• sarva-āyudhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi 'having all weapons'

• sarva-śaktiḥ: all-powerful
• sarva-śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi 'possessing all powers'

• sarva-ādyaḥ: the first of all
• sarva-ādyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya 'the first of all / all-beginning'

• sarvataḥ-mukhaḥ: facing all directions
• sarvataḥ-mukhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarvataḥ (अव्यय) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi 'whose faces are on all sides' (sarvataḥ as avyaya member)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Padmanabha

FAQs

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

It presents Viṣṇu (Padmanābha) as the all-pervading, primordial reality—limitless in power and presence—supporting the devotee’s contemplative vision of the Supreme.

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

By meditating on Viṣṇu’s divine attributes—radiance, omnidirectional presence, and complete power—the devotee strengthens śraddhā (faith) and single-pointed remembrance (smaraṇa), core practices of bhakti.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse uses precise theological epithets (nāma-lakṣaṇa) and compounded descriptors typical of Sanskrit śāstric style, aiding disciplined recitation and interpretation—useful for Vyākaraṇa (grammar) and Nirukta-style meaning analysis.