Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28
Sṛṣṭi-varṇana, Bhārata-khaṇḍa-mahātmya, and Jagad-bhūgola
Creation, Glory of Bhārata, and World Geography
आदिसर्गे महाविष्णोर्लोकान्कर्त्तुं समुद्यतः । प्रकृतिः पुरुषश्चेति कालश्चेति त्रिधा भवेत् ॥ २८ ॥
ādisarge mahāviṣṇorlokānkarttuṃ samudyataḥ | prakṛtiḥ puruṣaśceti kālaśceti tridhā bhavet || 28 ||
आदिसर्गे महाविष्णुः लोकान् स्रष्टुं समुद्यतः; तदा सृष्टिक्रमः त्रिधा—प्रकृतिः पुरुषश्चैव कालश्चेति प्रकीर्त्यते।
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It frames creation as governed by a triad—Prakṛti, Puruṣa, and Kāla—showing that the manifest universe arises through Nature energized by Consciousness and ordered by Time under Mahāviṣṇu’s sovereignty.
By identifying Mahāviṣṇu as the initiator of creation and the ruler over Prakṛti and Kāla, the verse supports bhakti as devotion to the supreme source who transcends yet directs cosmic processes.
The emphasis on Kāla (Time) aligns with practical Vedic time-reckoning used in Jyotiṣa (Vedic astrology/astronomy) for understanding cosmic cycles and selecting auspicious timings for rites.