Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41

Yamapatha (The Road of Yama), Dāna-Phala, and the Imperishable Fruition of Karma

Devanagari script

विद्युत्प्र भायुर्घोर्भीमो द्वात्रिंशद्भुजसंयुतः । योजनत्रयविस्तारो रक्ताक्षो दीर्घनासिकः ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

vidyutpra bhāyurghorbhīmo dvātriṃśadbhujasaṃyutaḥ | yojanatrayavistāro raktākṣo dīrghanāsikaḥ || 41 ||

Translation

విద్యుత్తువలె కాంతిమంతుడై, ఘోరభీముడై, ద్వాత్రింశద్భుజములతో యుక్తుడై, మూడు యోజనాల విస్తారదేహముతో, రక్తాక్షుడై దీర్ఘనాసికుడై ఉన్నాడు।

Word by Word

• विद्युत्प्रभः: having lightning-like splendor
• विद्युत्प्रभः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्युत्-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (विद्युतः प्रभा यस्य/विद्युत्सदृशी प्रभा), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• घोरः: terrible
• घोरः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भीमः: fearsome
• भीमः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्वात्रिंशत्: thirty-two
• द्वात्रिंशत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वा-त्रिंशत् (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like numeral stem in compound), ‘thirty-two’

• भुजसंयुतः: endowed with arms
• भुजसंयुतः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज-संयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (भुजैः संयुक्तः/भुजसम्बद्धः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• योजनत्रयविस्तारः: having a spread of three yojanas
• योजनत्रयविस्तारः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योजन-त्रय-विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (त्रीणि योजनानि विस्तारः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रक्ताक्षः: red-eyed
• रक्ताक्षः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (रक्ताः अक्षी यस्य/रक्तं अक्षि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दीर्घनासिकः: long-nosed
• दीर्घनासिकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ-नासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (दीर्घा नासिका यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

FAQs

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

The verse uses vivid, awe-inducing imagery—lightning-like brilliance, enormous size, and many arms—to convey the overwhelming power of certain cosmic or supernatural beings, encouraging reverence and discernment in approaching Purāṇic accounts of the unseen worlds.

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

While the verse is primarily descriptive rather than explicitly devotional, such depictions often function as a contrast: worldly fear and fascination are redirected toward steady refuge in the Supreme (typically Viṣṇu in the Nārada Purāṇa) rather than fixation on terrifying appearances.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical element is the traditional Purāṇic unit of measure—"yojana"—used in cosmological description; it reflects the text’s concern with structured world-modeling rather than a direct teaching of a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa in this verse.