Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 116

Bhāgīratha’s Bringing of the Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

इति श्रीबृहन्नारदीयपुराणे पूर्वभागे प्रथमपादे गङ्गामाहात्म्ये भागीरथगङ्गानयनंनाम षोडशोऽध्यायः ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

iti śrībṛhannāradīyapurāṇe pūrvabhāge prathamapāde gaṅgāmāhātmye bhāgīrathagaṅgānayanaṃnāma ṣoḍaśo'dhyāyaḥ || 16 ||

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്രീ ബൃഹന്നാരദീയപുരാണത്തിന്റെ പൂർവഭാഗത്തിലെ പ്രഥമപാദത്തിലെ ഗംഗാമാഹാത്മ്യത്തിൽ ‘ഭഗീരഥഗംഗാനയനം’ എന്ന പതിനാറാം അധ്യായം സമാപ്തമായി।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक-अव्यय (quotative/end marker)

• श्री: revered, auspicious (Śrī)
• श्री: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरसूचक-उपपद (honorific)

• बृहन्नारदीयपुराणे: in the Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa
• बृहन्नारदीयपुराणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहत् + नारदीय + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (बृहत् च तत् नारदीयं च तत् पुराणम्)

• पूर्वभागे: in the first part
• पूर्वभागे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः: 'in the earlier part/section'

• प्रथमपादे: in the first pāda/quarter (section)
• प्रथमपादे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथम + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रथमः पादः)

• गङ्गामाहात्म्ये: in the Ganga-mahātmya (glorification of Ganga)
• गङ्गामाहात्म्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः माहात्म्यम्)

• भागीरथगङ्गानयनम्: (the chapter titled) ‘Bringing of the Bhāgīrathī Ganga’
• भागीरथगङ्गानयनम्: Karta (कर्ता; chapter-title as subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागीरथ + गङ्गा + आनयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भागीरथस्य गङ्गायाः आनयनम् = 'bringing of the Bhāgīrathī Ganga')

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable: 'named/called')

• षोडशः: sixteenth
• षोडशः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal sense: sixteenth)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (colophon/section ending; not a spoken dialogue verse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Bhāgīratha
• Bṛhannāradīya Purāṇa

FAQs

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

This is a colophon verse marking the completion of Adhyāya 16 in the Gaṅgā-māhātmya, emphasizing the scriptural framing and authority of the Gaṅgā’s glorification within the Narada Purana’s structure.

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

Indirectly: by closing a chapter devoted to Gaṅgā’s greatness and Bhāgīratha’s sacred act, it supports bhakti through śravaṇa (hearing) and smaraṇa (remembrance) of tīrtha-māhātmya, which is treated as a devotional purifier in Purāṇic practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights Purāṇic textual organization (adhyāya, pāda, bhāga) and traditional colophon conventions—useful for accurate recitation, cataloging, and citation—rather than a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.