Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 159

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

जिह्वामूलगता नासागतोरः स्थलगामिनी । पदवाक्यस्वरूपा च वेदभाषास्वरूपिणी ॥ १५९ ॥

Transliteration

jihvāmūlagatā nāsāgatoraḥ sthalagāminī | padavākyasvarūpā ca vedabhāṣāsvarūpiṇī || 159 ||

Translation

Vāk naît à la racine de la langue, passe par le nez et la poitrine, puis se dirige vers le lieu de l’articulation. Elle prend les formes des mots et des phrases, et elle est la forme même de la langue des Veda.

Word by Word

• जिह्वा-मूल-गता: situated at the root of the tongue
• जिह्वा-मूल-गता: कर्तृ/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्वा + मूल + गत (√गम् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally): ‘gone/located at the root of the tongue’

• नासा-गता: situated in the nose
• नासा-गता: कर्तृ/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नासा + गत (√गम्; क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘gone to/located in the nose’

• उरः-स्थल-गामिनी: moving in the region of the chest
• उरः-स्थल-गामिनी: कर्तृ/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उरःस्थल + गामिन् (√गम्; णिनि-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त (agentive): ‘moving/going in the chest-region’

• पद-वाक्य-स्वरूपा: having the form of words and sentences
• पद-वाक्य-स्वरूपा: कर्तृ/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद + वाक्य + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ‘having the form of words and sentences’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वेद-भाषा-स्वरूपिणी: having the nature of the Vedic language
• वेद-भाषा-स्वरूपिणी: कर्तृ/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + भाषा + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्वरूपिणी’ (possessing the nature/form); समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ‘having the form/nature of Vedic language’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on Shiksha/phonetics and the nature of Vāk)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vāk
• Veda

FAQs

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

It teaches that Vāk (sacred speech) is a disciplined, embodied power with a defined pathway and structure; honoring that structure preserves the sanctity and efficacy of Vedic recitation.

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

By emphasizing pure Vedic speech, it supports bhakti practices like nāma-japa and mantra recitation—devotion becomes steady when sound, pronunciation, and meaning are kept aligned.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Shiksha (phonetics): the bodily production of sound, the role of articulation points, and how Vedic language expresses itself as pada (word) and vākya (sentence) for accurate chanting.