Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1
The Greatness of Viṣṇu
Uttaṅka’s Hymn, Hari’s Manifestation, and the Boon of Bhakti
नारद उवाच । किं तत्स्तोत्रं महाभाग कथं तुष्टो जनार्दनः । उत्तङ्कः पुण्यपुरुषः कीदृशं लब्धवान्वरम् 1. ॥ १ ॥
nārada uvāca | kiṃ tatstotraṃ mahābhāga kathaṃ tuṣṭo janārdanaḥ | uttaṅkaḥ puṇyapuruṣaḥ kīdṛśaṃ labdhavānvaram 1. || 1 ||
നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മഹാഭാഗ! ആ സ്തോത്രം എന്തായിരുന്നു? ജനാർദനൻ എങ്ങനെ പ്രസന്നനായി? പുണ്യപുരുഷനായ ഉത്തങ്കൻ ഏതു തരത്തിലുള്ള വരം ലഭിച്ചു?
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)
Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
FAQs
It frames the core Purāṇic principle that divine grace is drawn through stotra (praise) and devotion, and it introduces the inquiry into the exact practice and the resulting boon.
By asking how Janārdana became pleased, Nārada highlights bhakti as a relational path—God responds to sincere praise and heartfelt reverence, culminating in blessings (vara).
The verse points to stotra as a disciplined form of sacred speech—linked to Śikṣā (proper recitation) and Vyākaraṇa (correct formulation)—though no specific Vedāṅga technique is detailed in this single line.