Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 78

Bhāgīratha’s Bringing of the Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

भगीरथ उवाच । प्रणमामि जगन्नाथं प्रणतार्त्रिपणाशनम् । प्रमाणागोचरं देवमीशानं प्रणवात्मकम् ॥ ७८ ॥

Transliteration

bhagīratha uvāca | praṇamāmi jagannāthaṃ praṇatārtripaṇāśanam | pramāṇāgocaraṃ devamīśānaṃ praṇavātmakam || 78 ||

Translation

ഭഗീരഥൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ശരണം പ്രാപിച്ച് പ്രണാമിക്കുന്നവരുടെ ദുഃഖം അകറ്റുന്ന ജഗന്നാഥനോട് ഞാൻ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു. സാധാരണ പ്രമാണങ്ങളുടെ പരിധിക്ക് അപ്പുറമായ, സ്വരൂപം തന്നെ പവിത്ര പ്രണവം ‘ഓം’ ആയ ദേവനായ ഈശാനനോട് ഞാൻ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• bhagīrathaḥ: Bhagīratha
• bhagīrathaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagīratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) with ud- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person Singular, Parasmaipada; √vac with ud- ‘said’

• praṇamāmi: I bow to
• praṇamāmi: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु) with pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person Singular, Parasmaipada; √nam with pra- ‘I bow’

• jagat-nātham: Lord of the worlds
• jagat-nātham: Karma (कर्म/Object of praṇamāmi)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘jagatāṃ nāthaḥ’

• praṇata-ārti-paṇāśanam: destroyer of the suffering of those who bow
• praṇata-ārti-paṇāśanam: Karma (कर्म; qualifier of jagat-nātham)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇata (प्रातिपदिक) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + paṇāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular; multi-member तत्पुरुषः: ‘praṇatānām ārtiṃ paṇāśayati’ → ‘destroyer of the distress of the bowed (devotees)’

• pramāṇa-agocaram: beyond the reach of proof/means of knowledge
• pramāṇa-agocaram: Karma (कर्म; qualifier of devam/īśānam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + agocara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘pramāṇasya agocaraḥ’ (beyond the range of means of knowledge)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular

• īśānam: Īśāna (the Lord)
• īśānam: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular; in apposition to devam

• praṇava-ātmakam: whose essence is Praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-ātmakam: Karma (कर्म; qualifier of īśānam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘praṇavasya ātmā’ / ‘praṇava-svarūpa’

Speaker

Bhagīratha

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Characters & Entities

• Jagannatha (Supreme Lord)
• Ishana
• Pranava (Om)

FAQs

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

It presents surrender (praṇati) as the core spiritual act: the Lord is praised as Jagannātha who removes the distress of those who bow, and as the transcendent Īśāna beyond ordinary proofs—realized through devotion and the Praṇava.

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

Bhakti is shown as humble prostration and refuge-taking: the devotee approaches God not through argument alone but through heartfelt namaskāra and praise, trusting the Lord’s compassion to destroy suffering.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-prayoga is implied through “praṇavātmakam”: the Lord is contemplated via the Praṇava (Oṁ), aligning devotion with Vedic mantra practice (śikṣā/phonetics and proper recitation) even though the verse itself is primarily a stuti.