Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

The Narration of the Brāhma Purāṇa’s Account

Brāhma Purāṇānukramaṇikā

Devanagari script

अस्त्येव तस्य सारस्तु चतुर्लक्षेण वर्ण्यते । ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च वायवीयं तथैव च ॥ २६ ॥

Transliteration

astyeva tasya sārastu caturlakṣeṇa varṇyate | brāhmaṃ pādmaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ ca vāyavīyaṃ tathaiva ca || 26 ||

Translation

まことに、その精髄たる要約もまた四ラクシャの規模で説かれる。すなわち、ブラーフマ（Brāhma）、パードマ（Pādma）、ヴァイシュナヴァ（Vaiṣṇava）、そして同じくヴァーヤヴィーヤ（Vāyavīya）である。

Word by Word

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: 'indeed/only')

• तस्य: of that (Purana)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सारः: essence
• सारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय (particle)

• चतुः-लक्षेण: by/with four lakhs (of verses)
• चतुः-लक्षेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चतुर् + लक्ष)

• वर्ण्यते: is described
• वर्ण्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मम्: (the) Brahma (Purana)
• ब्राह्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; पुराण-नाम (title)

• पाद्मम्: (the) Padma (Purana)
• पाद्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुराण-नाम

• वैष्णवम्: (the) Vishnu (Purana)
• वैष्णवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुराण-नाम

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

• वायवीयम्: (the) Vayaviya (Purana)
• वायवीयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायवीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुराण-नाम

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle)

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

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Vayu

FAQs

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

It frames Purāṇic literature as having a recognized “essence” and organized transmission, pointing seekers to authoritative streams (Brāhma, Pādma, Vaiṣṇava, Vāyavīya) for dharma, devotion, and sacred history.

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

By explicitly naming the Vaiṣṇava tradition among the core summaries, it signals that Viṣṇu-centered devotion is a principal and sanctioned current within the Purāṇic corpus used for teaching bhakti and dharma.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects anukramaṇikā-style cataloging—text classification and quantitative tradition (verse-counts)—a practical scholastic method used to organize scriptural study and transmission.