Shloka 18

Invocation and the Naimiṣa Assembly: Sūta’s Arrival and the Request to Recount the Padma Purāṇa

Devanagari script

नद्यश्च काः पराः पुण्या नृणां पापहराः शुभाः । एतत्सर्वं महाभाग कथयस्व यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

nadyaśca kāḥ parāḥ puṇyā nṛṇāṃ pāpaharāḥ śubhāḥ | etatsarvaṃ mahābhāga kathayasva yathākramam

Translation

Alin-alin ang mga ilog na lubhang banal—mapalad at tagapag-alis ng kasalanan ng mga tao? O dakilang mapalad, isalaysay mo ang lahat ng ito nang sunod-sunod.

Word by Word

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta (Subject of implied inquiry/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• काः: which? what?
• काः: Visheshana (Interrogative modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; प्रश्नवाचक; विशेषण (of नद्यः)

• पराः: supreme, excellent
• पराः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विशेषण

• पुण्याः: holy, meritorious
• पुण्याः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विशेषण

• नृणाम्: of men, of people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• पाप-हराः: removing sins
• पाप-हराः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; तत्पुरुष (determinative)

• शुभाः: auspicious
• शुभाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विशेषण

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; विशेषण (of एतत्)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular; बहुव्रीहि (one who has great fortune)

• कथयस्व: tell, relate
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Imperative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — tell!

• यथा-क्रमम्: in due order
• यथा-क्रमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial)

Speaker

Unspecified in provided excerpt (a questioner addressing a revered interlocutor as 'mahābhāga')

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: river

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: नद्यश्च = नद्यः + च; एतत्सर्वम् = एतत् + सर्वम्; यथाक्रमम् = यथा + क्रमम् (अव्ययीभाव).

FAQs

What is being asked in this verse?

The speaker asks for an ordered list of the most sacred rivers—described as auspicious and capable of removing sins.

Does the verse itself name any specific rivers?

No. This verse is a request; the naming and description of specific rivers would follow in subsequent verses.

What ethical or devotional theme is implied here?

It implies reverence for tīrthas (sacred waters/places) and the idea that purification and moral renewal can be sought through prescribed sacred traditions, guided by authoritative instruction.