Shloka 54

Devanagari script

किं तत्र प्रतिमा पूर्वं सुस्थिता वैष्णवी प्रभो । येनासौ नृपतिस्तत्र गत्वा सबलवाहनः ॥ ५४ ॥

Transliteration

kiṃ tatra pratimā pūrvaṃ susthitā vaiṣṇavī prabho | yenāsau nṛpatistatra gatvā sabalavāhanaḥ || 54 ||

Translation

О Господь, какой вайшнавский образ (Вишну) был прежде прочно установлен там, из-за чего тот царь отправился туда вместе с войском и своими колесницами и верховыми?

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; interrogative

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb of place

• प्रतिमा: image; idol
• प्रतिमा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb of time

• सुस्थिता: well-established
• सुस्थिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सु-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘well-established/standing’

• वैष्णवी: Vaiṣṇavī (of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective qualifying प्रतिमा

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• येन: by which; whereby
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; relative pronoun; instrumental ‘by which/whereby’

• असौ: that (person)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• नृपतिः: king
• नृपतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb of place

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having gone’

• सबलवाहनः: with army and vehicles/mounts
• सबलवाहनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स- (उपसर्ग/समास-अवयव) + बल (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य बलं वाहनं च सः)

Speaker

Narada (questioning Sanatkumara in the dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Nrpati (King)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the sanctifying power of a properly established Vaiṣṇava pratimā at a tīrtha—so potent that it draws even a king to undertake a purposeful pilgrimage, indicating the icon’s role as a focal point of dharma and merit.

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

By centering the narrative on a Vaiṣṇava image, the verse points to bhakti expressed through darśana, worship, and tīrtha-yātrā—devotion that moves the heart (and even royal power) toward Viṣṇu’s presence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Implicitly, it touches ritual procedure (kalpa-prayoga) around pratimā-pratiṣṭhā and temple worship norms; while not detailing a Vedāṅga explicitly, the context aligns with applied ritual science used in Vaiṣṇava tīrtha practice.