Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38

Sṛṣṭi-varṇana, Bhārata-khaṇḍa-mahātmya, and Jagad-bhūgola

Creation, Glory of Bhārata, and World Geography

Devanagari script

अतलं वितलं चैव सुतलं च तलातलम् । महातलं च विप्रेन्द्र ततोऽधच्च रसातलम् ॥ ३८ ॥

Transliteration

atalaṃ vitalaṃ caiva sutalaṃ ca talātalam | mahātalaṃ ca viprendra tato'dhacca rasātalam || 38 ||

Translation

អតល និង វិតល ព្រមទាំង សុតល និង តលាតល; ហើយ មហាតល ផងដែរ—ឱ ព្រះព្រាហ្មណ៍ដ៏ប្រសើរ—ក្រោមទាំងនេះទៀត មាន រាសាតល។

Word by Word

• atalam: Atala (a netherworld)
• atalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• vitalam: Vitala (a netherworld)
• vitalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (emphatic)

• sutalam: Sutala (a netherworld)
• sutalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• talātalam: Talatala (a netherworld)
• talātalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: talātala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• mahātalam: Mahatala (a netherworld)
• mahātalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• viprendra: O Lord of Brahmins (Narada)
• viprendra: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viprendra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (Sambodhana), Singular

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Apadana (Source/Sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (derived from tad)

• adhas: below
• adhas: Adhikarana (Location/Sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (Spatial)

• ca: and
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• rasātalam: Rasatala (a netherworld)
• rasātalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasātala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Atala
• Vitala
• Sutala
• Talatala
• Mahātala
• Rasātala

FAQs

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

It situates human life within a vast Purāṇic cosmos, reminding the listener that the universe has many graded realms; spiritual practice aims beyond all such regions toward liberation and devotion-centered realization.

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

While the verse is primarily cosmographic, it supports Bhakti teaching indirectly: knowing the layered worlds underscores the supremacy of the Lord who pervades and governs all realms, encouraging surrender and remembrance rather than fascination with lower or intermediate domains.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

This verse chiefly reflects Purāṇic cosmography used in ritual and calendrical imagination; it does not directly teach a Vedāṅga, though such world-mapping often informs Jyotiṣa-style worldview and ritual visualization.