Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

Sanatkumāra’s Bhāgavata Tantra: Tattvas, Māyā-Bonds, Embodiment, and the Necessity of Dīkṣā

Devanagari script

शौनक उवाच । सूत साधो चिरं जीव सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः । यत्त्वया पायिता विद्वन्वयं कृष्णकथामृतम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca | sūta sādho ciraṃ jīva sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ | yattvayā pāyitā vidvanvayaṃ kṛṣṇakathāmṛtam || 1 ||

Translation

ശൗനകൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ സാദു സൂതാ! നീ ദീർഘായുസ്സോടെ ജീവിക്ക; സർവ്വശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളിലും വിശാരദൻ. ഹേ വിദ്വൻ, നീ ഞങ്ങളെ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണകഥാമൃതം പാനം ചെയ്യിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• शौनकः: Śaunaka
• शौनकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• साधो: O good one
• साधो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• जीव: live (may you live)
• जीव: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः: knower of all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address; implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-शास्त्र-विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): सर्वेषां शास्त्राणां विशारदः

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण/Instrument; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• पायिताः: were made to drink / were given to drink
• पायिताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject in passive construction: ‘we’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → पायित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (passive sense)

• विद्वन्: O learned one
• विद्वन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कृष्णकथामृतम्: the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s story
• कृष्णकथामृतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-कथा-अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कृष्णस्य कथा = कृष्णकथा; ततः अमृतम् = कृष्णकथामृतम्

Speaker

Śaunaka

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Sūta
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

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

It praises the sanctifying power of śravaṇa (devotional listening): hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā is likened to drinking amṛta, implying it nourishes devotion and refines the listener’s mind toward dharma and mokṣa.

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

Bhakti is shown as accessible through kathā—receiving Kṛṣṇa’s narratives from a qualified speaker. The verse highlights gratitude, reverence to the teacher, and the transformative sweetness (amṛta) of Hari-kathā.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

While not naming a specific Vedāṅga, it emphasizes śāstra-viśāradatā—competence in the scriptural sciences (including disciplines like vyākaraṇa and nirukta) as a qualification for authoritative Purāṇic exposition.