Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

Mantra-Māhātmya and Sādhana of Kārtavīryārjuna

Nyāsa, Yantra, Homa, and Dīpa-Vrata

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । कार्तवीर्यतप्रभृतयो नृपा बहुविधा भुवि । जायंतेऽथ प्रलीयंते स्वस्वकर्मानुसारतः ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | kārtavīryataprabhṛtayo nṛpā bahuvidhā bhuvi | jāyaṃte'tha pralīyaṃte svasvakarmānusārataḥ || 1 ||

Translation

Nārada berkata: Di bumi ini, pelbagai jenis raja—bermula dengan Kartavīrya dan yang lain-lain—lahir lalu lenyap, masing-masing menurut karma peribadinya.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कार्तवीर्यत-प्रभृतयः: those beginning with Kārtavīrya
• कार्तवीर्यत-प्रभृतयः: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तवीर्यत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कार्तवीर्यतादयः) ‘beginning with Kārtavīrya’

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बहु-विधाः: of many kinds
• बहु-विधाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (बहवः विधाः)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• जायन्ते: are born / arise
• जायन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Anvaya (अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (then/and)

• प्रलीयन्ते: dissolve / perish
• प्रलीयन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्व-स्व-कर्म-अनुसारतः: according to their own deeds
• स्व-स्व-कर्म-अनुसारतः: Hetu/Upapada (हेतु/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुसार (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘according to’; पूर्वपदसमासः (स्वस्य स्वस्य कर्मणः अनुसारतः)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Kartavīrya (Kārtavīrya Arjuna)

FAQs

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

It teaches that worldly status— even kingship—arises and ends under the law of karma; power is not permanent, and one’s actions shape one’s rise and decline.

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

By highlighting the instability of worldly sovereignty, the verse implicitly redirects the seeker from reliance on transient power to reliance on dharma and ultimately devotion to the Supreme, which alone is enduring beyond birth and dissolution.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse underscores a core interpretive principle used across Vedanga-aligned study—causal reasoning about results (phala) from actions (karma), a foundation for dharma-application in texts that also treat technical disciplines.