Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 46

Nārada’s Hymn to Viṣṇu

Nāradasya Viṣṇu-stavaḥ

Devanagari script

एवमादीन्यनेकानि यस्य रूपाणि पाण्डवाः । न शक्यं तेन संख्यातुं कोट्यब्दैरपि तं भजे ॥ ४६ ॥

Transliteration

evamādīnyanekāni yasya rūpāṇi pāṇḍavāḥ | na śakyaṃ tena saṃkhyātuṃ koṭyabdairapi taṃ bhaje || 46 ||

Translation

Wahai para Pāṇḍava, demikianlah Ia memiliki rupa yang tak terhitung; bahkan dalam berjuta-juta tahun pun tak dapat dihitung. Maka aku berbhajan kepada-Nya.

Word by Word

• evamādīni: beginning with this (and others like it)
• evamādīni: Visheshana (Adjective to rūpāṇi)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: evamādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• anekāni: many/not one
• anekāni: Visheshana (Adjective to rūpāṇi)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• rūpāṇi: forms
• rūpāṇi: Karma (Object of saṃkhyātuṃ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• pāṇḍavāḥ: O sons of Pandu
• pāṇḍavāḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇḍava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (Sambodhana), Plural

• na: not
• na: N/A
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of negation

• śakyam: possible
• śakyam: Kriya-visheshana or Predicate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (Impersonal construction)

• tena: by him/that person
• tena: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• saṃkhyātum: to count/enumerate
• saṃkhyātum: N/A
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃkhyā (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• koṭyabdaiḥ: by crores of years
• koṭyabdaiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭyabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• api: even
• api: N/A
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/Emphasizer

• tam: Him
• tam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• bhaje: I worship
• bhaje: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhaj (धातु)
• Form: Present Tense (Lat), First Person (Uttama), Singular

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Pandavas

FAQs

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

It emphasizes Vishnu’s ananta-rūpa (limitless manifestations): the Divine cannot be exhaustively measured by time or intellect, so the proper response is reverent worship and surrender.

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

By admitting that counting or fully grasping God’s forms is impossible, the verse redirects the seeker from mere analysis to bhajana—devotional worship as the most fitting approach to the Supreme.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, or Jyotiṣa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is devotional praxis—stuti and bhajana—grounded in recognizing the limits of enumeration and conceptualization.