Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

Dhvajāropaṇa and Dhvajāgopaṇa: Procedure, Stotra, and Phala (Merit) of Raising Viṣṇu’s Flag

Devanagari script

नमस्ते पुण्डरीकाक्ष नमस्ते विश्वभावन । नमस्तेऽस्तु हृषीकेश महापुरुष पूर्वज ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

namaste puṇḍarīkākṣa namaste viśvabhāvana | namaste'stu hṛṣīkeśa mahāpuruṣa pūrvaja || 22 ||

Translation

ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ ผู้มีเนตรดุจดอกบัว; ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ ผู้ทรงอภิบาลสรรพโลก. ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ โอ หฤษีเกศะ—มหาบุรุษ ผู้เป็นบรรพกาลแรกเริ่ม

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable interjection), नमस्कारार्थक (salutation particle)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• puṇḍarīka-akṣa: O lotus-eyed one
• puṇḍarīka-akṣa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇḍarīka (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• viśva-bhāvana: O sustainer/creator of the universe
• viśva-bhāvana: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• astu: let it be / may it be
• astu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive usage), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• hṛṣīkeśa: O Hṛṣīkeśa (Lord of the senses)
• hṛṣīkeśa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīka (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• mahā-puruṣa: O great person (Supreme Being)
• mahā-puruṣa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय

• pūrva-ja: O primeval one/first-born
• pūrva-ja: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hrishikesha
• Mahapurusha

FAQs

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

It centers devotion through nāma-stuti (salutation by divine epithets), affirming Vishnu as the cosmic sustainer (viśvabhāvana) and the primordial Supreme Person (mahāpuruṣa, pūrvaja), a foundation for bhakti leading toward moksha.

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

Bhakti is shown as reverent surrender expressed through repeated salutations and remembrance of Vishnu’s qualities—lotus-eyed beauty, lordship over the senses, and universal guardianship—training the mind to rest in the Lord.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily Vyākaraṇa/semantic precision: the epithets (puṇḍarīkākṣa, viśvabhāvana, hṛṣīkeśa) function as meaningful nāmāni used in stotra and japa, emphasizing accurate usage of divine names rather than a ritual procedure.