Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21

The Description of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa’s Table of Contents

Anukramaṇī

Devanagari script

इंद्रस्य तु स्तवः पुण्यः शुक्रेण परिकीर्तितः । विष्णुमाहात्म्यकथनं बलिवंशनिरूपणम् ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

iṃdrasya tu stavaḥ puṇyaḥ śukreṇa parikīrtitaḥ | viṣṇumāhātmyakathanaṃ balivaṃśanirūpaṇam || 21 ||

Translation

اِندر کی پاکیزہ حمد شُکراآچاریہ نے بیان کی ہے؛ نیز وِشنو کے ماہاتمیہ کا بیان اور بَلی کے وَنش کی تفصیل بھی ہے۔

Word by Word

• इन्द्रस्य: of Indra
• इन्द्रस्य: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्धसूचक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/contrastive)

• स्तवः: hymn/praise
• स्तवः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पुण्यः: meritorious/holy
• पुण्यः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) स्तवः इति विशेष्यस्य

• शुक्रेण: by Śukra
• शुक्रेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तितः: was proclaimed/celebrated
• परिकीर्तितः: क्रिया (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive sense)

• विष्णु-माहात्म्य-कथनम्: narration of Viṣṇu’s greatness
• विष्णु-माहात्म्य-कथनम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; implied list-item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कथन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः माहात्म्यस्य कथनम्)

• बलि-वंश-निरूपणम्: description of Bali’s lineage
• बलि-वंश-निरूपणम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; implied list-item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बलेः वंशस्य निरूपणम्)

Speaker

Narada (summarizing contents in an anukramanika manner within the Narada Purana narrative frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Shukra (Shukracharya)
• Vishnu
• Bali

FAQs

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

It flags key sacred themes—meritorious stotra (hymn), Viṣṇu-māhātmya (the Lord’s greatness), and dynastic narrative—indicating that devotional praise and remembrance of divine deeds are spiritually purifying and instructive.

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

By emphasizing Viṣṇu’s māhātmya-kathā and holy praise (stava), it points to bhakti practices central to Purāṇas: hearing/reciting divine glories and reflecting on exemplary figures like Bali within dharmic history.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this line; rather, it functions as an anukramanika cue—indexing stotra and itihāsa-style genealogy (vaṃśa-nirūpaṇa) used for structured study and recitation in Purāṇic tradition.