Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

The Description of the Glory of the Purāṇa

Purāṇa-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

कपर्दिनं विरूपाक्ष व्याघ्रचर्मांबरावृतम् । भूतिभूषितसर्वांगं नागभूषणभूषितम् ॥ १७ ॥

Transliteration

kapardinaṃ virūpākṣa vyāghracarmāṃbarāvṛtam | bhūtibhūṣitasarvāṃgaṃ nāgabhūṣaṇabhūṣitam || 17 ||

Translation

اس نے کپردی، وِروپاکش—ببر شیر کی کھال کے لباس میں ملبوس—اس ربّ کو دیکھا؛ جس کے تمام اعضا مقدس بھسم سے آراستہ تھے اور جو سانپوں کو ہی زیور کے طور پر دھارے ہوئے تھا۔

Word by Word

• kapardinam: Kapardin (the matted-haired one; Śiva)
• kapardinam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapardin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• virūpākṣam: the odd/unequal-eyed (one)
• virūpākṣam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: ‘having strange/unequal eyes’ (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य) used as epithet

• vyāghra-carma-ambara-āvṛtam: clad in a tiger-skin garment
• vyāghra-carma-ambara-āvṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक) + carman (प्रातिपदिक) + ambara (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त; √vṛ आवरणे with ā-)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘clad/covered with a tiger-skin garment’ (व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरेण आवृतम्); PPP (क्त) as final member

• bhūti-bhūṣita-sarva-aṅgam: whose whole body is adorned with sacred ash
• bhūti-bhūṣita-sarva-aṅgam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūti (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त; √bhūṣ अलङ्कारे) + sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘whose whole body is adorned with ash’ (भूत्या भूषितं सर्वाङ्गं यस्य); PPP (क्त) within compound

• nāga-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitam: adorned with serpent ornaments
• nāga-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त; √bhūṣ अलङ्कारे)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘adorned with serpent-ornaments’ (नागभूषणैः भूषितम्); PPP (क्त)

Speaker

Narada (describing Rudra/Śiva in an anukramaṇikā-style summary)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Rudra)
• Virupaksha
• Kapardin

FAQs

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

The verse encodes Śiva’s renunciant majesty: tiger-skin (mastery over primal nature), bhasma (detachment and impermanence), and serpents (fearlessness and yogic power), presenting Rudra as the ascetic-lord beyond worldly ornamentation.

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

By giving a vivid dhyāna-style description of the deity’s marks, it supports devotional remembrance (smaraṇa) and focused contemplation—core bhakti practices—through a concrete form that devotees can meditate upon.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily Nirukta/etymological understanding and iconographic convention: epithets like Kapardin and Virūpākṣa function as technical identifiers for dhyāna and ritual visualization rather than grammar or astrology instruction.