Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3

Kūrmāpurāṇa-Anukramaṇikā

Index/Summary of the Kūrma Purāṇa

Devanagari script

तत्सप्तदशसाहस्रं सुचतुः संहितं शुभम् । यत्र ब्राह्माः पुरा प्रोक्ता धर्मा नानाविधा मुने ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

tatsaptadaśasāhasraṃ sucatuḥ saṃhitaṃ śubham | yatra brāhmāḥ purā proktā dharmā nānāvidhā mune || 3 ||

Translation

ആ ഗ്രന്ഥം പതിനേഴായിരം ശ്ലോകങ്ങളാൽ സമ്പന്നമായ, നാലു സംഹിതകളായി സുസംഘടിതവും മംഗളകരവുമായ സമാഹാരമാണ്; ഹേ മുനേ, അതിൽ ബ്രഹ്മജന്യ ഋഷിമാർ പുരാകാലത്ത് നാനാവിധ ധർമ്മങ്ങൾ ഉപദേശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1/2 विभक्ति), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• saptadaśa-sāhasram: seventeen-thousand (collection)
• saptadaśa-sāhasram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptadaśa + sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; dvigu compound denoting number

• su-catuḥ: well-arranged / excellent fourfold
• su-catuḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + catuḥ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (Form as in text) Indeclinable-like numeral/adjectival usage; qualifying the collection; 'su-' as intensifier/prefix

• saṃhitam: compiled
• saṃhitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-√dhā (धा धातु) → saṃhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, past passive participle)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; PPP (क्त) used adjectivally: 'compiled/collected'

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; adjective

• yatra: wherein
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; relative adverb (सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय) meaning 'where/in which'

• brāhmāḥ: Brahma-related sages / Brahmās (as speakers)
• brāhmāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• proktāḥ: taught / proclaimed
• proktāḥ: Karma (कर्म) / Predicative qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, past passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; PPP (क्त) agreeing with 'dharmāḥ' (understood)

• dharmāḥ: duties / dharmas
• dharmāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural

• nānā-vidhāḥ: of various kinds
• nānā-vidhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; adjective qualifying 'dharmāḥ'

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8/सम्बोधन), Singular

Speaker

Narada (narrating/reciting within the Anukramanika-style summary)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Brahmā-born sages (Brahmarṣis)
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It frames the text as an auspicious, well-structured four-part compilation whose purpose is dharma-pravacana—preserving and transmitting many forms of righteous conduct taught by ancient Brahmā-born sages.

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

Indirectly: by establishing the Purana as a repository of varied dharmas, it sets the foundation for later teachings where bhakti is presented as a principal dharma; this verse functions as a catalog-style assurance of authoritative guidance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Chandas, Nirukta, Kalpa, Jyotiṣa) is named in this verse; the practical takeaway is the text’s organized compilation format and its broad dharma-coverage rather than a technical science.