Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

Hanūmaccarita

The Account of Hanumān

Devanagari script

मिथिलामनयत्तत्र रौद्रं चादर्शयद्ध्वनुः । तस्य कन्यां पणीभूतां सीतां सुरसुतोपमाम् ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

mithilāmanayattatra raudraṃ cādarśayaddhvanuḥ | tasya kanyāṃ paṇībhūtāṃ sītāṃ surasutopamām || 12 ||

Translation

അദ്ദേഹം (അവനെ) മിഥിലയിലേക്കു കൊണ്ടുപോയി അവിടെ ആ ഭയങ്കരമായ ധനുസ്സിനെ കാണിച്ചു. പിന്നെ തന്റെ പുത്രി സീതയെ—വരപ്രാപ്തിയുടെ പുരസ്കാരമായി ലഭിച്ച, ദേവപുത്രിയോടു സമമായവളെ—അർപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• मिथिलाम्: to Mithilā
• मिथिलाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem., acc. sg.)

• अनयत्: led
• अनयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (imperfect, 3rd sg.; ‘led’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• रौद्रम्: fierce/terrible
• रौद्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut., acc. sg.; qualifying धनुः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अदर्शयत्: showed
• अदर्शयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: णिच् (causative) + लङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (causative imperfect, 3rd sg.; ‘showed’)

• धनुः: the bow
• धनुः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neut., nom. sg.)

• तस्य: of him/of that (king)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• कन्याम्: daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• पणीभूताम्: set as a prize
• पणीभूताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पणीभूत (प्रातिपदिक; भू धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पणीकृता/विवाहार्थं निधाय’ (made as a stake/prize)

• सीताम्: Sītā
• सीताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.; apposition to कन्याम्)

• सुरसुतोपमाम्: like the daughters of the gods
• सुरसुतोपमाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरसुत + उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुरसुतानाम् उपमा = comparable to gods’ daughters)

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Purāṇic account)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Characters & Entities

• Mithila
• Sita
• Dhanu (bow)

FAQs

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

It frames dharma through sacred history: the awe-inspiring bow and the winning of Sītā portray divine order operating through righteous kingship and sanctioned marriage, presenting an exemplar of dharmic conduct.

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

Bhakti is implied through reverent recognition of the divine arrangement behind events—Sītā is described as celestial-like, and the marriage narrative functions as a devotional remembrance (smaraṇa) of sacred persons and their dharmic acts.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Indirectly, it touches Kalpa (ritual procedure) and social dharma: the notion of a bride being 'won' in a sanctioned contest aligns with codified royal and marriage customs rather than random desire.