Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 150

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

अकारादिक्षकारांतवर्णभेदव्यवस्थितः । पुराणपुरुषोऽनादिः शब्दब्रह्मेति गीयते ॥ ५० ॥

Transliteration

akārādikṣakārāṃtavarṇabhedavyavasthitaḥ | purāṇapuruṣo'nādiḥ śabdabrahmeti gīyate || 50 ||

Translation

‘അ’ മുതൽ ‘ക്ഷ’ വരെ അക്ഷരഭേദങ്ങളുടെ ക്രമമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന, പുരാണപുരുഷനായ അനാദി ആദിപുരുഷൻ ‘ശബ്ദബ്രഹ്മം’ എന്നു പാടപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अकारादि-क्षकारान्त-वर्णभेद-व्यवस्थितः: established in the distinctions of letters from ‘a’ to ‘kṣa’
• अकारादि-क्षकारान्त-वर्णभेद-व्यवस्थितः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षकार (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यवस्थित (स्था धातु + वि-अव-उपसर्ग + क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (अकारादि...क्षकारान्त...वर्णभेदेषु व्यवस्थितः)

• पुराणपुरुषः: the primeval Person
• पुराणपुरुषः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (पुराणः पुरुषः)

• अनादिः: beginningless
• अनादिः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (न + आदि)

• शब्दब्रह्म: Sound-Brahman
• शब्दब्रह्म: कर्म/प्रत्ययार्थ (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शब्दरूपं ब्रह्म)

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यसम्बन्ध (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निदर्शनार्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• गीयते: is sung/celebrated
• गीयते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Characters & Entities

• Purana-Purusha
• Shabda-Brahman

FAQs

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

It identifies the ultimate reality as Śabda-Brahman—Brahman approachable through sacred sound—showing that the ordered universe of phonemes itself reflects the beginningless Purāṇa-Puruṣa.

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

By grounding the Divine in mantra and sacred utterance, it supports bhakti through nāma-japa, stotra, and recitation—devotion expressed as sound that connects the devotee to the Purāṇa-Puruṣa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) and Vyākaraṇa (grammar): the verse points to the disciplined arrangement of varṇas (letters) from a to kṣa, implying correct pronunciation and linguistic order as spiritually meaningful.