Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

पाशवर्णशरीरा चाकुर्वर्णसुवपुर्द्धरा । त्रिखंडा स्थापनी सन्निरोधनी चावगुंठनी ॥ ४५ ॥

Transliteration

pāśavarṇaśarīrā cākurvarṇasuvapurddharā | trikhaṃḍā sthāpanī sannirodhanī cāvaguṃṭhanī || 45 ||

Translation

તેનું શરીર પાશવર્ણ (તામ્ર-ભૂરું) છે અને તેજસ્વી વર્ણનું સુંદર સ્વરૂપ ધરાવે છે; તે ત્રિખંડા છે—સ્થાપની, સન્નિરોધની અને અવગુંઠની (આવરણ કરનારી) પણ તે જ છે।

Word by Word

• पाश-वर्ण-शरीरा: having a body of noose-color
• पाश-वर्ण-शरीरा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘पाशस्य वर्णः’ (color of a noose) + ‘शरीरम्’ (body)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अङ्कु-वर्ण-सु-वपुः-धरा: bearing a beautiful body of goad-color
• अङ्कु-वर्ण-सु-वपुः-धरा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘अङ्कुवर्णम्’ (goad-colored) + ‘सुवपुः’ (beautiful body) + ‘धरा’ (bearing)

• त्रिखण्डा: threefold/three-parted
• त्रिखण्डा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (सङ्ख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—three-parted

• स्थापनी: Sthāpanī (the establisher; name)
• स्थापनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-नाम (agent/causative sense)

• सन्निरोधनी: Sannirodhanī (the restrainer; name)
• सन्निरोधनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + नि + रुध् (धातु) → सन्निरोधनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-नाम (one who restrains)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अवगुंठनी: Avaguṃṭhanī (the veiler; name)
• अवगुंठनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव + गुंठ्/गुठ् (धातु) → अवगुंठनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-नाम (one who veils/covers)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a Vedanga-oriented discourse, traditionally in dialogue with Sanatkumara lineage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

FAQs

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

It describes a threefold operative principle—establishing, restraining, and veiling—showing how sacred power functions in ritual and inner discipline: it sets a form, contains it, and can also conceal it.

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

By implying that divine power can both reveal and veil, it points to Bhakti as the means to remove concealment (avaguṃṭhana) and stabilize the mind (sthāpana) while restraining distractions (sannirodhana).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A technical, mantra-śāstra style classification of functions (kriyā-śakti): how a ritual force is applied to establish (sthāpana), restrain (nirodha), and cover/occlude (avaguṃṭhana) within a procedure.