Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 54

The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Gaṅgāmāhātmya

Devanagari script

तुलसीकाननं यत्र यत्र पह्मवनं द्विजा । पुराणपठनं यत्र यत्र संनिहितो हरिः ॥ ५४ ॥

Transliteration

tulasīkānanaṃ yatra yatra pahmavanaṃ dvijā | purāṇapaṭhanaṃ yatra yatra saṃnihito hariḥ || 54 ||

Translation

तुलसीकाननं यत्र यत्र पद्मवनं द्विजा । पुराणपठनं यत्र यत्र संनिहितो हरिः ॥

Word by Word

• तुलसीकाननम्: a grove of tulasī
• तुलसीकाननम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी-कानन (प्रातिपदिक; तुलसी + कानन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तुलस्याः काननम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative locative adverb)

• यत्र: wherever
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• पद्मवनम्: a lotus-grove
• पद्मवनम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म-वन (प्रातिपदिक; पद्म + वन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पद्मानां वनम्)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि (addressing sense)

• पुराणपठनम्: recitation/reading of the Purāṇa
• पुराणपठनम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण-पठन (प्रातिपदिक; पुराण + पठन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पुराणस्य पठनम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• यत्र: wherever
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• संनिहितः: is present
• संनिहितः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (teaching the assembled dvijas in the Purva Bhaga context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu
• Tulasi

FAQs

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

It declares that Viṣṇu’s living presence is especially invoked where devotion is cultivated—through sacred plants like Tulasī, sanctified natural spaces (lotus-groves), and the devotional recitation of Purāṇic scripture.

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

Bhakti is shown as tangible and place-transforming: honoring Tulasī and regularly hearing/reciting Purāṇas creates an atmosphere where Hari is ‘saṃnihita’—experienced as near and accessible to devotees.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes applied dharma of scripture-recitation (pāṭha/śravaṇa) as a devotional practice; while not a technical Vedāṅga lesson, it aligns with correct recitation discipline (connected to Śikṣā—phonetics) in Purāṇa-pāṭha.