Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

Vāmana’s Advent, Aditi’s Hymn, Bali’s Gift, and the Mahatmya of Bhū-dāna

Devanagari script

अजामिलोऽपि पापात्मा यन्नामोच्चारणादनु । प्राप्तवान्परमं धाम तं वन्दे लोकसाक्षिणम् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

ajāmilo'pi pāpātmā yannāmoccāraṇādanu | prāptavānparamaṃ dhāma taṃ vande lokasākṣiṇam || 29 ||

Translation

Bahkan Ajāmila—walau seorang yang berdosa—telah mencapai kediaman tertinggi hanya dengan melafazkan Nama-Nya. Aku bersujud kepada Tuhan itu, Saksi bagi segala alam.

Word by Word

• अजामिलः: Ajāmila
• अजामिलः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजामिल (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even/although
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (concession)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive particle)

• पाप-आत्मा: a sinful person
• पाप-आत्मा: कर्ता (Karta; apposition to ‘ajāmilaḥ’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—“sinful (one whose) self”

• यत्: whose
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध—“whose” (with ‘nāma’)

• नाम: name
• नाम: कर्म (Karma; with ‘uccāraṇa’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (indeclinable-like usage as ‘name’)

• उच्चारणात्: from/through the utterance
• उच्चारणात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्चारण (प्रातिपदिक; from √चर् with ud-; ‘uttering’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अनु: thereupon/thereby
• अनु: सम्बन्ध (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (postposition-like: “after/thereupon/thereby”)

• प्राप्तवान्: attained
• प्राप्तवान्: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्तवत् (कृदन्त; क्तवत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवत्, past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; finite sense with implied ‘अभवत्’

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: कर्म (Karma; object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘dhāma’)

• धाम: abode
• धाम: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वन्दे: I bow to
• वन्दे: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• लोक-साक्षिणम्: witness of the world
• लोक-साक्षिणम्: कर्म (Karma; object-qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण/उपाधि (of ‘tam’)

Speaker

Narada (praising Vishnu as Lokasakshi in the context of Nama-mahatmya)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Ajāmila
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches nāma-mahātmya: even an imperfect person can be uplifted, because sincere (or even incidental) utterance of the Lord’s Name has the power to destroy sin and lead to the supreme state.

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

Bhakti is shown as accessible through nāma-japa and nāma-smaraṇa; the Lord as lokasākṣin responds to the turning of the mind toward Him, and devotion expressed as calling His Name becomes a direct means to liberation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse implicitly highlights Śikṣā (correct recitation/utterance) and Vyākaraṇa (the discipline of words), since the spiritual efficacy is linked to nāma-uccāraṇa—pronouncing and remembering the divine Name.