Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 39

Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तवन्तं तं धर्मं प्रणिपत्य भगीरथः । प्रोवाच विनयाविष्टः संहृष्टः श्लक्ष्णया गिरा ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

ityuktavantaṃ taṃ dharmaṃ praṇipatya bhagīrathaḥ | provāca vinayāviṣṭaḥ saṃhṛṣṭaḥ ślakṣṇayā girā || 40 ||

Translation

Setelah Dharma berkata demikian, Bhagiratha pun bersujud memberi hormat kepada Dharma; dengan penuh rendah hati dan gembira, baginda berkata kepadanya dengan tutur kata yang lembut.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/quotative (इति-प्रयोगः), indeclinable (अव्यय)

• uktavantam: the one who had spoken
• uktavantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta-vat (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) < vac (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle with possessive suffix -वत् (उक्तवत्), Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• dharmam: Dharma (the righteous one / Dharma)
• dharmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇi-pat (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), ‘having bowed down’

• bhagīrathaḥ: Bhagīratha
• bhagīrathaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagīratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• provāca: said / spoke
• provāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• vinaya-āviṣṭaḥ: filled with humility
• vinaya-āviṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinaya (प्रातिपदिक) + āviṣṭa (कृदन्त) < ā-√viś (धातु)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘vinayena āviṣṭaḥ’, Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• saṃhṛṣṭaḥ: delighted
• saṃhṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃhṛṣṭa (कृदन्त) < saṃ-√hṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ślakṣṇayā: with gentle
• ślakṣṇayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślakṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; used adjectivally qualifying ‘girā’

• girā: speech/voice
• girā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

Speaker

Suta (narrator) describing Bhagiratha's response to Dharma

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Bhagiratha

FAQs

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

The verse highlights vinaya (humility) as the proper response to dharmic instruction: one first bows in reverence to Dharma and then speaks with gentle, disciplined speech—showing that inner purity and right conduct begin with surrender and respect.

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

Although not explicitly naming Vishnu here, the bhakti principle is implied: reverent prostration, humility, and soft speech are foundational bhava-s (attitudes) that mature into devotional receptivity—honoring dharma as supportive of devotion rather than opposed to it.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse indirectly emphasizes Shiksha and Vyakarana in practice—refined, gentle, well-formed speech (ślakṣṇā gir) and disciplined expression—showing that dharmic communication is itself a form of sādhana.