Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 30

The Description of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa’s Table of Contents

Anukramaṇī

Devanagari script

अष्टादशमनौपम्यं सारात्सारतरं द्विज । ब्रह्मांडं यच्चतुर्लक्षं पुराणं येन पठ्यते ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśamanaupamyaṃ sārātsārataraṃ dvija | brahmāṃḍaṃ yaccaturlakṣaṃ purāṇaṃ yena paṭhyate || 30 ||

Translation

ஓ த்விஜனே! பதினெட்டு புராணங்களில் பிரஹ்மாண்ட புராணம் ஒப்பற்றது—சாரத்திலும் மேலான சாரம்; இது நான்கு லட்சம் ச்லோகங்களைக் கொண்ட புராணம் எனப் பாராயணம் செய்யப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• अष्टादशम्: eighteen
• अष्टादशम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (numeral)

• अनौपम्यम्: incomparable (in eighteen ways / among eighteen)
• अनौपम्यम्: Karma (कर्म; predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + अनौपम्य (प्रातिपदिक; from उपमा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: अष्टादशम्-अनौपम्यम् (कर्मधारय: ‘eighteen (kinds) incomparable’)

• सारात्: from the essence
• सारात्: Apadana (अपादान; from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सारतरम्: more essential
• सारतरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारतर (प्रातिपदिक; comparative of सार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Brahmāṇḍa (Purāṇa)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (कर्म; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म; relative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun)

• चतुः: four
• चतुः: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग), संख्या-विशेषण

• लक्षम्: four lakhs (400,000)
• लक्षम्: Visheshana (विशेषण; measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: चतुः-लक्षम् (द्विगु: ‘four lakhs’)

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (कर्म; object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण; instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun: ‘by which’)

• पठ्यते: is read/recited
• पठ्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive voice)

Speaker

Suta (narrating Purāṇic anukramaṇikā material to the sages)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmanda Purana

FAQs

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

It emphasizes Purāṇic pramāṇa (textual stature) by praising the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa as uniquely authoritative and “essence-like,” guiding the listener toward trusted śāstric sources for dharma and cosmological teaching.

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

Indirectly: by classifying and exalting a Purāṇa as “sāratara,” it points devotees toward scriptural listening/recitation (śravaṇa–pāṭha) as a bhakti-supporting practice grounded in recognized Purāṇic tradition.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical focus is textual enumeration and pramāṇa—an anukramaṇikā-style cataloging of corpus size (catur-lakṣa), useful for traditional study planning and śāstra classification rather than a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.