Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31

Dharmānukathana

Narration of Dharma

Devanagari script

शालग्रामेऽपयेद्यस्तु तुलस्यास्तु दलानि च । स वसेद्विष्णुभवने यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम् ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

śālagrāme'payedyastu tulasyāstu dalāni ca | sa vasedviṣṇubhavane yāvadābhūtasamplavam || 31 ||

Translation

Ang sinumang mag-alay ng mga dahon ng Tulasi sa Śālagrāma (batong sagisag ni Viṣṇu), mananahan siya sa tahanan ni Viṣṇu hanggang sa paglusaw ng sanlibutan sa dakilang pralaya.

Word by Word

• śālagrāme: on the Shalagrama stone
• śālagrāme: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālagrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• arpayet: should offer
• arpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ṛ (ऋ) [Causative: arp]
• Form: Optative (Vidhilin), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tu: indeed
• tu: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle

• tulasyāḥ: of Tulasi
• tulasyāḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• tu: and/but
• tu: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle

• dalāni: leaves
• dalāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• sa: he
• sa: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• vaset: would reside
• vaset: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (वस्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhilin), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• viṣṇubhavane: in the house of Vishnu
• viṣṇubhavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇubhavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• yāvat: as long as / until
• yāvat: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb

• ābhūtasamplavam: until the dissolution of the universe
• ābhūtasamplavam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ābhūtasamplava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial Compound

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shalagrama
• Tulasi

FAQs

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

It exalts a simple act of Viṣṇu-bhakti—offering Tulasi to Śālagrāma—as a direct cause for attaining residence in Viṣṇu’s divine abode, described with the highest time-scale: up to pralaya.

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

It presents bhakti as accessible and efficacious: sincere worship through a sacred offering (Tulasi) to Viṣṇu’s emblem (Śālagrāma) yields supreme, enduring spiritual destiny (Viṣṇu-bhavana).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual praxis (kalpa-oriented practice) is implied: proper upacāra (offering) in Viṣṇu-pūjā—specifically Tulasi-dala arpaṇa to Śālagrāma—as a concise rule of worship and its stated fruit (phala).