Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 127

गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

नमो ब्रह्मन्मुने तुभ्यं नमस्ते ब्रह्ममूर्त्तये । नमो ब्रह्मण्यशीलाय ब्रह्मध्यानपराय च ॥ १२७ ॥

Transliteration

namo brahmanmune tubhyaṃ namaste brahmamūrttaye | namo brahmaṇyaśīlāya brahmadhyānaparāya ca || 127 ||

Translation

Prostro-me a ti, ó sábio muni firmemente estabelecido em Brahman; prostro-me a ti, cuja própria forma é Brahman. Prostro-me a ti, de conduta dedicada a Brahman e totalmente absorto na meditação sobre Brahman.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• brahman: O Brahman
• brahman: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीयपुरुष, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीयपुरुष, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (enclitic)

• brahma-mūrtaye: to (you who are) the embodiment of Brahman
• brahma-mūrtaye: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ब्रह्मणः मूर्तिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• brahmaṇya-śīlāya: to one whose nature is devoted to Brahman
• brahmaṇya-śīlāya: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmaṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (ब्रह्मण्यं शीलं यस्य/ब्रह्मण्य-शीलः), पुंलिङ्ग (शील-शब्द), चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• brahma-dhyāna-parāya: to one intent on meditation on Brahman
• brahma-dhyāna-parāya: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणि ध्यानं; तस्मिन् परः = ब्रह्मध्यानपरः), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narada (addressing the Brahman-realized sage in the dialogue framework with the Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Muni

FAQs

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

The verse models the Narada Purana’s ideal of approaching sacred teaching through humility: honoring a realized teacher as one established in Brahman, whose life and meditation are centered on the Absolute, which prepares the listener for moksha-oriented instruction.

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

Though framed as knowledge of Brahman, the repeated “namo” expresses devotional reverence toward the realized sage; in Purāṇic pedagogy, such bhakti (śraddhā and namaskāra) is a gateway that steadies the mind for higher contemplation and right practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical takeaway is disciplined dhyāna (meditation) and proper reverential conduct toward the guru; while no single Vedāṅga is explicitly taught, the verse reflects the Vedic method of beginning instruction with auspicious salutations and mental preparation.