Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 97

Hanūmaccarita

The Account of Hanumān

Devanagari script

प्रहसन्नंबुजाभाक्षमित्युवाच सदाशिवः । क्षामोदरोऽसि गोविंद देयं ते भोजनं किमु ॥ ९७ ॥

Transliteration

prahasannaṃbujābhākṣamityuvāca sadāśivaḥ | kṣāmodaro'si goviṃda deyaṃ te bhojanaṃ kimu || 97 ||

Translation

Souriant, Sadāśiva dit à Celui aux yeux de lotus : «Govinda, ton ventre paraît amaigri ; quelle nourriture faut-il donc te donner ?»

Word by Word

• prahasan: smiling
• prahasan: Karta (कर्ता; participle qualifying subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-has (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), प्रथमा एकवचन पुंलिङ्ग; from √हस् with उपसर्ग प्र- ‘smiling/laughing’

• ambu-jābha-akṣam: (him) whose eyes are like lotuses
• ambu-jābha-akṣam: Karma (कर्म/object of addressing/mentioning; describing the addressee)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ambu (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: अम्बुज (कर्मधारय ‘lotus’) + आभ (उपमान/सादृश्य) + अक्ष (कर्मधारय ‘lotus-like-eyed’)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotative particle (इति)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; from √वच् ‘to speak’

• sadāśivaḥ: Sadāśiva
• sadāśivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadāśiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: सदा + शिव (कर्मधारय ‘ever-auspicious’)

• kṣāma-udaraḥ: thin-bellied
• kṣāma-udaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective of ‘tvam’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣāma (प्रातिपदिक) + udara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: क्षाम + उदर (कर्मधारय ‘thin-bellied’)

• asi: are
• asi: Kriyā (क्रिया/copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; from √अस् ‘to be’

• govinda: O Govinda
• govinda: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• deyam: to be given
• deyam: Karma (कर्म; predicate nominal ‘food to be given’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be given’ (gerundive sense as adjective)

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/beneficiary ‘for you’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive/6th) एकवचन; enclitic form

• bhojanam: food
• bhojanam: Karma (कर्म; thing given)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म; interrogative complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• u: indeed/then (interrogative emphasis)
• u: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: u (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, interrogative/emphatic particle (निपात)

Speaker

Sadashiva (Shiva)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: hasya

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sadashiva
• Govinda
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It highlights reverence and loving informality in divine relationship: Sadāśiva, smiling, treats Govinda as a cherished guest and asks what offering would please him—pointing to bhakti expressed through seva (service) and hospitality.

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

Bhakti here appears as personal service (upacāra): noticing the Lord’s condition and desiring to nourish him. The devotee’s love expresses itself through practical offerings rather than abstract praise alone.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

While not a technical Vedāṅga rule, it reflects smārta-purāṇic conduct connected to ritual culture—proper offering (naivedya/bhojana) and atithi-sevā—often framed by kalpa and dharma considerations in Purāṇic practice.