Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 84

Anadhyaya and the Winds: From Vedic Recitation Protocol to Sanatkumara’s Moksha-Upadesha

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियैर्गृह्यते यद्यत्तद्व्यक्तमभिधीयते । अव्यक्तमथ तज्ज्ञेयं लिंगग्राह्यमतींद्रियम् ॥ ८४ ॥

Transliteration

indriyairgṛhyate yadyattadvyaktamabhidhīyate | avyaktamatha tajjñeyaṃ liṃgagrāhyamatīṃdriyam || 84 ||

Translation

Apa jua yang ditangkap oleh pancaindera disebut yang “nyata” (vyakta). Tetapi yang patut diketahui sebagai “tidak nyata” (avyakta) melampaui pancaindera dan hanya dapat difahami melalui tanda-tanda petunjuknya (liṅga).

Word by Word

• इन्द्रियैः: by the senses
• इन्द्रियैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (करण)

• गृह्यते: is grasped/perceived
• गृह्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Relative pronoun (what/which)

• यत्: whatever (indeed)
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; repetition for emphasis

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun

• व्यक्तम्: the manifest
• व्यक्तम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective used substantively

• अभिधीयते: is called/denoted
• अभिधीयते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• अव्यक्तम्: the unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective used substantively

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; discourse particle (then/now)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun

• ज्ञेयम्: to be known
• ज्ञेयम्: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be known’ (gerundive)

• लिङ्गग्राह्यम्: graspable by inference/sign
• लिङ्गग्राह्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राह्य (ग्रह् धातु + ण्यत् कृत्)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य ग्राह्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अतीन्द्रियम्: beyond the senses
• अतीन्द्रियम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/उपपद-तत्पुरुषार्थे (इन्द्रियाणाम् अतीतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It teaches viveka (discernment): the visible world is sense-grasped (vyakta), while the highest principle is suprasensory (avyakta) and must be inferred through subtle indicators, supporting a moksha-oriented shift from sensory certainty to inner knowledge.

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

Bhakti matures when devotion is not limited to external forms alone; the devotee learns to recognize the Lord’s presence through liṅgas—scriptural signs, inner transformation, and sattvic qualities—pointing beyond mere sensory perception.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights the epistemic method of inference through liṅga (indicative marks), a key tool used in śāstra-based reasoning; this supports disciplined scriptural study (including vyākaraṇa and nyāya-style analysis) to understand what is not directly perceived.