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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31

Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam

The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya

परार्द्धद्वयकालस्तु तन्मतेन भवेद्द्विजाः । विष्णोरहस्तु विज्ञेयं तावद्रा त्रिः प्रकीर्तिता ॥ ३१ ॥

parārddhadvayakālastu tanmatena bhaveddvijāḥ | viṣṇorahastu vijñeyaṃ tāvadrā triḥ prakīrtitā || 31 ||

О дважды-рождённые, согласно этому учению следует понимать срок в две парардхи; и «день Вишну» надлежит знать равным этой мере. Его ночь также провозглашается троичной, разделённой на три части.

parārddha-dvaya-kālaḥthe time-span of two parārdhas
parārddha-dvaya-kālaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootparārddha (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
tubut/indeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable (अव्यय), adversative particle (निपात)
tat-matenaaccording to that view
tat-matena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + mata (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
bhavetwould be/is
bhavet:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (भू धातु)
FormOptative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
dvijāḥO twice-born ones
dvijāḥ:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Plural (बहुवचन)
viṣṇoḥof Viṣṇu
viṣṇoḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootviṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
ahaḥday
ahaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootahar/ahaḥ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
tuindeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable (अव्यय), particle (निपात)
vijñeyamis to be understood
vijñeyam:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + vi- (उपसर्ग) + -ya (कृत्)
FormKṛtya (कृत्य) gerundive, Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
tāvatso much/that long
tāvat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottāvat (अव्यय/तावत्)
FormIndeclinable (अव्यय), adverb (परिमाणवाचक) 'so much/that long'
rātriḥnight
rātriḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrātri (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
triḥthrice
triḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottriḥ (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable (अव्यय), numeral adverb (संख्यावाचक क्रियाविशेषण) 'thrice'
prakīrtitāis proclaimed/has been stated
prakīrtitā:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√kīrt (कीर्त् धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग) + kta (कृत्)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/कर्मणि), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing dvijas within the discourse)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

V
Vishnu

FAQs

It places human time within a vast divine framework, teaching that creation and dissolution operate on Viṣṇu’s immeasurable day-and-night cycles, encouraging detachment and reverence for the cosmic order upheld by Viṣṇu.

By emphasizing Viṣṇu as the regulator of cosmic time itself, the verse implicitly directs devotion toward the supreme Lord whose will governs cycles far beyond human calculation—supporting bhakti grounded in awe, surrender, and trust in divine governance.

It aligns with Jyotiṣa/Vedāṅga-style time-reckoning—using large chronological units (like parārdha) and the ahorātra (day-night) model to frame cosmological periods central to Purāṇic chronology.