Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

Rādhā-sambaddha-mantra-vyākhyā

Rādhā-Related Mantras Explained

Devanagari script

त्रिविधा हंसभेदेव श्रृणु तां च यथाक्रमम् । हंसाद्ययाऽद्या मध्या स्यादादिमध्यस्थहंसया ॥ २६ ॥

Transliteration

trividhā haṃsabhedeva śrṛṇu tāṃ ca yathākramam | haṃsādyayā'dyā madhyā syādādimadhyasthahaṃsayā || 26 ||

Translation

Écoute maintenant, dans l’ordre convenable, cette triple classification du mètre appelé Haṃsa : la première variété commence par « haṃsa » ; la variété médiane est celle qui porte « haṃsa » au milieu ; et la dernière variété est celle où « haṃsa » se tient à la fois au début et au milieu.

Word by Word

• त्रिविधा: threefold
• त्रिविधा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘threefold’

• हंस-भेदे: in the division of Haṃsa
• हंस-भेदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘हंसस्य भेदः’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; ‘hear’

• ताम्: that (teaching)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; कर्म

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• यथा-क्रमम्: in proper sequence
• यथा-क्रमम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषणम्; ‘in due order’

• हंस-आद्यया: by the Haṃsa-beginning (form)
• हंस-आद्यया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘हंसः आद्यः यस्याः/या’ = ‘by the Haṃsa-beginning (one)’

• अद्याः: the first
• अद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (here: ‘the first’)

• मध्या: the middle
• मध्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘middle’

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘would be/is to be’

• आदि-मध्य-स्थ-हंसया: by the Haṃsā located at the beginning and middle
• आदि-मध्य-स्थ-हंसया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त; √स्था) + हंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘आदि-मध्ये स्थिता हंसा’ = ‘by the Haṃsā situated at the beginning and middle’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It shows that sacred learning includes precise technical disciplines (Vedāṅgas) like Chandas; correct metrical knowledge supports accurate preservation and recitation of Vedic and devotional texts.

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

Indirectly: by emphasizing disciplined transmission of hymns and stotras, it supports bhakti practice through correct chanting and textual integrity rather than giving a direct devotional instruction.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (prosody): it classifies the Haṃsa metre into three types based on where the marker “haṃsa” occurs—at the beginning, in the middle, or at both beginning and middle.