Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

The Greatness of Viṣṇu

Uttaṅka’s Hymn, Hari’s Manifestation, and the Boon of Bhakti

Devanagari script

निरञ्जनं निराकारं पूर्णमाकाशमध्यगम् । परं च विद्याविद्याभ्यां हृदम्बुजनिवासिनम् ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

nirañjanaṃ nirākāraṃ pūrṇamākāśamadhyagam | paraṃ ca vidyāvidyābhyāṃ hṛdambujanivāsinam || 23 ||

Translation

Ele é imaculado e sem forma, pleno, permeando o céu interior (da consciência); o Supremo, além do conhecimento e da ignorância, que habita no lótus do coração.

Word by Word

• nirañjanam: stainless/untainted
• nirañjanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-añjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• nir-ākāram: formless
• nir-ākāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• pūrṇam: complete/full
• pūrṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• ākāśa-madhya-gam: dwelling in the midst of space
• ākāśa-madhya-gam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + gam (धातु) → gata/gam (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गम्-धातुज कृदन्त (गम् + खल्/अच्-प्राय), ‘ग’/‘गम’ = ‘गच्छन्/गत’ अर्थे; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; participial adjective: 'going/being in the midst')

• param: supreme
• param: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• vidyā-avidyābhyām: by knowledge and ignorance
• vidyā-avidyābhyām: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + a-vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (Feminine, Instrumental, Dual; 'by knowledge and ignorance')

• hṛt-ambuja-nivāsinam: dwelling in the lotus of the heart
• hṛt-ambuja-nivāsinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛd/hṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + ambuja (प्रातिपदिक) + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; 'one who dwells in the heart-lotus')

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It defines the Supreme Reality as pure and formless, yet directly accessible in inner contemplation as the indwelling presence in the heart—pointing to liberation through inward realization.

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

By locating the Supreme in the “heart-lotus,” it supports bhakti as intimate inner worship—loving remembrance and meditation on the indweller—while affirming that the Lord ultimately transcends conceptual limits.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana, Jyotisha, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is dhyana-yoga—contemplating the inner akasha and the heart-lotus as a meditative locus.