Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

Chandas: Varṇa-gaṇas, Guru-Laghu, Vṛtta-bheda, and Prastāra Procedures

Devanagari script

नष्टांकार्द्धे समे लः स्याद्विपम् सैव सोर्द्धगः । उद्दिष्टे द्विगुणानाद्यादंगान्संमोल्य लस्थितान् ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

naṣṭāṃkārddhe same laḥ syādvipam saiva sorddhagaḥ | uddiṣṭe dviguṇānādyādaṃgānsaṃmolya lasthitān || 16 ||

Translation

നഷ്ടാങ്കം പകുതിയാക്കിയപ്പോൾ ഫലം സമമായാൽ ‘ല’ എന്ന സൂചകം വരും; ‘വിപം’ വിഷയത്തിലും അർദ്ധ-പടിയോടുകൂടി അതേ വിധി ഗ്രഹിക്കണം. ‘ഉദ്ദിഷ്ട’ പ്രവർത്തിയിൽ ആദ്യം ദ്വിഗുണപ്പെടുത്തി, പിന്നെ ‘ല’-സ്ഥാനത്തിലുള്ള അംശങ്ങളെ ചേർത്ത് ഏകീകരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• naṣṭa-aṃka-arddhe: in the half of the naṣṭāṅka (lost-number)
• naṣṭa-aṃka-arddhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃka (प्रातिपदिक) + arddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: ‘in the half of the lost-number (naṣṭāṅka)’

• same: when (it is) even
• same: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with implied ‘(arddhe)’

• laḥ: the letter ‘la’
• laḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: la (प्रातिपदिक/वर्ण-नाम)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• syāt: should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• vipam: (the) vipa (technical term)
• vipam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• sā: that (same)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारणार्थक निपात)

• saḥ: that/he/it
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ūrdhva-gaḥ: moving upward/upper-going
• ūrdhva-gaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक; from √gam)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: ‘going upward’

• uddiṣṭe: in the uddiṣṭa (given/indicated case)
• uddiṣṭe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√diś (धातु) → uddiṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त) used locatively; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• dviguṇān: twofold/doubled
• dviguṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन); Dvigu compound meaning ‘twofold’

• ādyāt: should take
• ādyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• aṅgān: parts/limbs (elements)
• aṅgān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन)

• saṃmolya: having summed/combined
• saṃmolya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√mūl/√mṛd? (धातु) → saṃmolya (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (ल्यप्-कृदन्त), ‘having combined/added up’ (technical)

• la-sthitān: those placed under ‘la’/la-positioned
• la-sthitān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: la (प्रातिपदिक) + sthita (कृदन्त, क्त; from √sthā)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन); Tatpuruṣa: ‘those situated in/marked by la’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada technical doctrine within the Purva Bhaga)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It shows that the Purana also preserves disciplined, Vedanga-like methods—training the mind in precision and orderly reasoning, which supports moksha-oriented study by cultivating clarity (viveka) and correct understanding.

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

This specific verse is primarily technical rather than devotional; indirectly, it supports bhakti by emphasizing correct transmission of sacred knowledge—study done carefully becomes an offering of intellect and attention in the broader dharma of devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A procedural rule resembling Vedanga-style technical instruction: handling an unknown/lost value (naṣṭāṅka) through halving, checking evenness, applying a marker (“la”), doubling, and then combining component terms (aṅgas) according to their marked positions.