Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 46

Sṛṣṭi-pralaya-kathana: Mahābhūta-guṇāḥ, Vṛkṣa-indriya-vādaḥ, Prāṇa-vāyu-vyavasthā

Devanagari script

भृगुरुवाच । ब्रह्मकल्पे पुरा ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मर्षीणां समागमे । लोकसंभवसंदेहः समुत्पन्नो महात्मनाम् ॥ ४६ ॥

Transliteration

bhṛguruvāca | brahmakalpe purā brahman brahmarṣīṇāṃ samāgame | lokasaṃbhavasaṃdehaḥ samutpanno mahātmanām || 46 ||

Translation

Bhṛgu thưa: “Bạch Bà-la-môn, thuở xưa trong một Brahmā-kalpa, khi các Brahmarṣi hội tụ, nơi tâm của những bậc đại hồn ấy đã khởi lên mối nghi về nguồn gốc của các thế giới.”

Word by Word

• bhṛguḥ: Bhṛgu
• bhṛguḥ: Karta (कर्ता/speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• brahma-kalpe: in the Brahmā-kalpa
• brahma-kalpe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7 विभक्ति), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः कल्पः)

• purā: formerly; long ago
• purā: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• brahman: O Brahmin
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8 विभक्ति), Singular; संबोधन

• brahma-rṣīṇām: of the Brahmarṣis
• brahma-rṣīṇām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः ऋषयः)

• samāgame: in the assembly; at the gathering
• samāgame: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samāgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7), Singular

• loka-saṃbhava-saṃdehaḥ: doubt about the origin of the world
• loka-saṃbhava-saṃdehaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य सम्भवः—तस्य सन्देहः)

• samutpannaḥ: arose
• samutpannaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/predicative—‘arisen’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ut-pad (धातु) → samutpanna (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त); Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; agrees with saṃdehaḥ

• mahātmanām: of the great-souled ones
• mahātmanām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Plural; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् आत्मा यस्य) used as ‘great-souled’

Speaker

Bhṛgu

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Brahmarṣis
• Brahmā-kalpa

FAQs

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

It frames spiritual inquiry as a sacred method: great sages collectively examine the origin of the worlds, implying that right knowledge (jñāna) begins with honest doubt and disciplined questioning.

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

Indirectly, it prepares the ground for bhakti by establishing that understanding creation and the cosmic order leads seekers toward the ultimate cause—typically revealed in Purāṇic teaching as the Supreme Lord—whom devotion then approaches with clarity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse highlights the Vedic method of śāstric inquiry (question–answer tradition) used by ṛṣis; while no single Vedāṅga is named, it reflects the disciplined reasoning and textual tradition that supports Vedāṅga-based study.