Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 137

Hanūmaccarita

The Account of Hanumān

Devanagari script

श्रुतिदेवाद्यगम्यं हि पदं तव कपिस्थितम् । सर्वोपनिषदव्यक्तं त्वत्पदं कपिसर्वयुक् ॥ १३७ ॥

Transliteration

śrutidevādyagamyaṃ hi padaṃ tava kapisthitam | sarvopaniṣadavyaktaṃ tvatpadaṃ kapisarvayuk || 137 ||

Translation

En vérité, Ta demeure suprême—inaccessible même aux Veda et aux dieux—se trouve établie dans le Seigneur au drapeau du Singe. Ton état demeure non manifesté pour tous les Upaniṣad, et pourtant il est uni à toutes les puissances et perfections, ô Toi dont l’emblème est le singe.

Word by Word

• श्रुति-देव-आदि-अगम्यम्: inaccessible to Vedas, gods, etc.
• श्रुति-देव-आदि-अगम्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अगम्य (कृदन्त; √गम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अगम्य’ = गम्यते न इति (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थः, here as adjective ‘inaccessible’); समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (श्रुतिभ्यः देवैः आदिभिः अगम्यम् = inaccessible even to the Vedas and gods etc.)

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

• पदम्: state/abode/position
• पदम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (2nd person)

• कपि-स्थितम्: situated in the monkey-form
• कपि-स्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्थित’ = situated; समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (कपौ स्थितम् = situated in a monkey-form / in the monkey)

• सर्व-उपनिषद्-अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest in all Upanishads
• सर्व-उपनिषद्-अव्यक्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उपनिषद् (प्रातिपदिक) + अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्तार्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वासाम् उपनिषदाम् अव्यक्तम् = not manifest/explicit in all Upanishads)

• त्वत्-पदम्: your abode/state
• त्वत्-पदम्: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्वत् = तव; त्वत्पदम् = your state/abode)

• कपि-सर्व-युक्: the monkey (Hanuman) endowed with all (qualities)
• कपि-सर्व-युक्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + युज् (धातु; ‘युक्’ = connected/endowed)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘युक्’ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) = endowed/connected; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘he whose (monkey-form) is endowed with all (powers/qualities)’; विशेषणं (हनूमत्-पर्याय)

Speaker

Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition; verse is in praise addressing the deity as Kapi/Monkey-emblem Lord)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vedas (Śruti)
• Devas
• Upaniṣads
• Hari/Vishnu (implied as the addressed supreme Lord)

FAQs

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

It declares the Lord’s supreme padam (abode/state) as transcendent—beyond the reach of ordinary scriptural and divine cognition—yet still the source that contains and harmonizes all powers, pointing to liberation through surrender to the Supreme.

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

By emphasizing that even the Vedas and gods cannot fully grasp the Lord, the verse shifts the seeker from mere intellectual reach to reverent praise and dependence—Bhakti as the fitting approach to the transcendent yet all-supporting Lord.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Vedānta-oriented hermeneutics: the Upaniṣads indicate the Supreme but cannot exhaustively “manifest” Him in words, reminding the student of limits of śabda (scriptural language) and the need for realized understanding alongside recitation and study.