Shloka 36

Puruṣottama-kṣetra Māhātmya: Śveta-Mādhava & Matsya-Mādhava; Mārkaṇḍeya-tīrtha Mārjana and Bath Liturgy

Devanagari script

आपो नरस्य सूनुत्वान्नारा इति ह कीर्तिताः । विष्णोस्तस्त्वालयं पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

āpo narasya sūnutvānnārā iti ha kīrtitāḥ | viṣṇostastvālayaṃ pūrvaṃ tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ || 36 ||

Translation

Karena air (āpaḥ) disebut sebagai keturunan Nara, maka ia dipuji sebagai ‘Nārā’. Sejak dahulu ia menjadi kediaman prinsip Viṣṇu; karena itu Beliau dikenang sebagai ‘Nārāyaṇa’.

Word by Word

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (अप्-शब्दः), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• नरस्य: of man / of Nara
• नरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सूनुत्वात्: because of being the offspring
• सूनुत्वात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूनुत्व (प्रातिपदिक; सूनु + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ablative of cause (हेतु)

• नाराः: (they are called) nārāḥ
• नाराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotative particle

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle (निपात)

• कीर्तिताः: are proclaimed/called
• कीर्तिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; passive sense ‘have been called/proclaimed’

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तत्त्व-आलयम्: the abode of essence
• तत्त्व-आलयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘तत्त्वस्य आलयः’ (abode of reality/essence)

• पूर्वम्: formerly; first
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb (कालवाचक)

• तेन: therefore; by that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is known/remembered
• स्मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; passive sense ‘is remembered/known as’

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Purana; teaching framed in the Narada tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Narāyaṇa
• Nara
• Āpaḥ (waters)

FAQs

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

It defines ‘Nārāyaṇa’ as Viṣṇu whose eternal ‘abode’ is the primordial waters, pointing to Him as the underlying reality (tattva) pervading creation.

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

By grounding devotion in right understanding of the Lord’s names: knowing why He is called Nārāyaṇa strengthens remembrance (smaraṇa) and worship centered on Viṣṇu’s all-pervading nature.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Nirukti/semantic derivation (often aligned with Vedāṅga-style etymological explanation) is used to interpret a divine name—deriving ‘Nārāyaṇa’ from ‘Nārā’ (waters) and ‘ayana’ (abode).