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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 84

Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative

यो नामजात्यादिविकल्पहीनः शब्दादिदोषव्यतिरेकरुपः । बहुस्वरुपोऽपि निरञ्जनो यस्तमीशमीढ्यं परमं भजामि ॥ ८४ ॥

yo nāmajātyādivikalpahīnaḥ śabdādidoṣavyatirekarupaḥ | bahusvarupo'pi nirañjano yastamīśamīḍhyaṃ paramaṃ bhajāmi || 84 ||

جو نام، ذات وغیرہ کے تمام امتیازی تصورات سے پاک ہے، اور جس کی حقیقت کلام و لفظ سے وابستہ عیوب کی نفی ہے؛ جو بہت سے روپوں میں ظاہر ہو کر بھی بے داغ و بے رنگ (نِرنجن) ہے—میں اسی قابلِ ستائش پرمیشور کی بھکتی کرتا ہوں۔

yaḥwho
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun (सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम)
nāma-jāti-ādi-vikalpa-hīnaḥdevoid of distinctions like name and class
nāma-jāti-ādi-vikalpa-hīnaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootnāman (प्रातिपदिक) + jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vikalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying yaḥ; compound: ‘devoid of (hīna) the distinctions (vikalpa) such as name and class’
śabda-ādi-doṣa-vyatireka-rūpaḥwhose nature is free from faults like sound etc.
śabda-ādi-doṣa-vyatireka-rūpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootśabda (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vyatireka (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying yaḥ; ‘whose nature is exclusion/absence (vyatireka) of faults such as sound etc.’
bahu-svarūpaḥof many forms
bahu-svarūpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootbahu (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying yaḥ; ‘of many forms’
apieven though
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात); concessive ‘even/though’
nirañjanaḥstainless
nirañjanaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootnirañjana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying yaḥ; ‘stainless, untainted’
yaḥwho
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; relative pronoun resuming description
tamhim
tam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; demonstrative pronoun
īśamthe Lord
īśam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular; apposition to tam
īḍhyampraiseworthy
īḍhyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootīḍhya (प्रातिपदिक; from √īḍ (धातु) ‘to praise’)
FormAccusative, Singular, Masculine; verbal adjective (कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त) meaning ‘praiseworthy’; qualifies īśam
paramamsupreme
paramam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootparama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAccusative, Singular, Masculine/Neuter form; here qualifying īśam (Masculine) as ‘supreme’
bhajāmiI worship
bhajāmi:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhaj (धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Narada

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

V
Vishnu

FAQs

It points to the Supreme Lord as transcending all limiting labels—name, category, and even the imperfections of language—yet still approachable through worship, uniting nirguṇa insight with devotional surrender.

Bhakti here is directed to the īśa who may manifest in many divine forms for devotees, while remaining internally untouched (nirañjana). Devotion is thus anchored in a transcendent reality, not confined to mere verbal or conceptual definitions.

It implicitly cautions about the limits of śabda (language)—a key concern of Vyākaraṇa and Nirukta—showing that while scripture and grammar guide understanding, the Supreme ultimately exceeds verbal formulation.