Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 44
The Description of the Glory of the Purāṇa
Purāṇa-Māhātmya
कृतं युगं सामवेदो धेनुर्विप्रोऽन्नमंबु च । मार्गो मृगेंद्रः पुरुषोऽश्वत्थः प्रह्लाद आननम् ॥ ४४ ॥
kṛtaṃ yugaṃ sāmavedo dhenurvipro'nnamaṃbu ca | mārgo mṛgeṃdraḥ puruṣo'śvatthaḥ prahlāda ānanam || 44 ||
कृतयुग, सामवेद, धेनू (गाय), ब्राह्मण, अन्न व जल, मार्ग, मृगेंद्र (सिंह), पुरुष, अश्वत्थ (पिंपळ), प्रह्लाद आणि मुख—ही सर्व (श्रेष्ठतेची) रूपे म्हणून सांगितली आहेत।
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It presents an anukramaṇikā-style list of sacred correspondences—linking cosmic time (Kṛta Yuga), Veda (Sāma), dharmic supports (cow, brāhmaṇa, food, water), and exemplary devotion (Prahlāda)—as a compact map of what sustains and sanctifies the world.
By explicitly naming Prahlāda—celebrated for unwavering Viṣṇu-bhakti—the verse signals that among sacred categories, the devotee and devotion-centered exemplars are integral to the Purāṇic path (mārga) of liberation and protection.
The verse functions like a mnemonic catalogue used in Purāṇic summaries: it organizes key dharmic and Vedic reference-points (e.g., Sāma Veda, yuga taxonomy) for recall—useful for traditional study, recitation frameworks, and interpretive indexing rather than a single ritual injunction.