Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

The Description of the Skanda Purāṇa’s Anukramaṇī

Index/Summary

Devanagari script

मतंगांजनसंवादः कीर्तितः पापनाशनः । पुरुषोत्तममाहात्म्यं कीर्तितं चोत्कले ततः ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

mataṃgāṃjanasaṃvādaḥ kīrtitaḥ pāpanāśanaḥ | puruṣottamamāhātmyaṃ kīrtitaṃ cotkale tataḥ || 23 ||

Translation

മതംഗനും അഞ്ജനയും തമ്മിലുള്ള പാപനാശക സംവാദം കീർത്തിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; തുടർന്ന് ഉത്കല (ഒഡിഷ) ദേശത്തിലെ പുരുഷോത്തമന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യവും വർണ്ണിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു॥২৩॥

Word by Word

• मतंग-अंजन-संवादः: the dialogue of Mataṅga and Añjana
• मतंग-अंजन-संवादः: Karta (कर्ता/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मतंग (प्रातिपदिक) + अंजन (प्रातिपदिक) + संवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मतंगस्य अंजनस्य संवादः / मतंग-अंजनयोः संवादः)

• कीर्तितः: is proclaimed/related
• कीर्तितः: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पापनाशनः: sin-destroying
• पापनाशनः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य नाशनः); विशेषण (of संवादः)

• पुरुषोत्तममाहात्म्यम्: the glory of Puruṣottama
• पुरुषोत्तममाहात्म्यम्: Karta/Karma (कर्ता/कर्म; topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुरुषोत्तमस्य माहात्म्यम्)

• कीर्तितम्: is proclaimed/related
• कीर्तितम्: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• उत्कले: in Utkala (Odisha)
• उत्कले: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देशवाचक

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/क्रम (adverb: 'thereafter/then')

Speaker

Suta (Anukramanika narrator summarizing the section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Mataṅga
• Aṃjana
• Puruṣottama
• Viṣṇu
• Otkala (Odisha)

FAQs

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

It marks two spiritually efficacious themes: a pāpa-nāśana (sin-destroying) sacred dialogue, and the glorification (māhātmya) of Puruṣottama—indicating that hearing/reciting these accounts is treated as purifying and devotion-enhancing.

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

By highlighting “Puruṣottama-māhātmya,” it directs attention to Viṣṇu’s supreme form as an object of śravaṇa and kīrtana; devotion is cultivated through hearing the Lord’s greatness and connecting it with a sacred geography (Otkala).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this line; instead it functions as an anukramaṇikā (sectional index) pointing to narrative-kīrtana and tīrtha-māhātmya as practical purāṇic methods for purification and dharmic orientation.