Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38

The Greatness of Viṣṇu

Viṣṇor Māhātmya

Devanagari script

यदा तदैव सम्प्राप्ता विष्णुदूताश्चतुर्भुजाः । किरीटकुण्डलधरा वनमालाविभूषिताः ॥ ३८ ॥

Transliteration

yadā tadaiva samprāptā viṣṇudūtāścaturbhujāḥ | kirīṭakuṇḍaladharā vanamālāvibhūṣitāḥ || 38 ||

Translation

Ngay đúng lúc ấy, các sứ giả của Viṣṇu liền đến—bốn tay, đội mũ miện, đeo hoa tai, và trang nghiêm bằng vòng hoa rừng.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (correlative temporal adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/limiting particle)

• सम्प्राप्ताः: arrived
• सम्प्राप्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विष्णुदूताः: messengers of Vishnu
• विष्णुदूताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject) (सम्प्राप्ताः इत्यस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘of Viṣṇu’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्भुजाः: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/of ‘विष्णुदूताः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• किरीटकुण्डलधराः: wearing crowns and earrings
• किरीटकुण्डलधराः: Visheshana (विशेषण/of ‘विष्णुदूताः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किरीट (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + तत्पुरुष (धरः = धारयति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वनमालाविभूषिताः: adorned with forest-garlands
• वनमालाविभूषिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/of ‘विष्णुदूताः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनमाला (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+भूष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थ (instrumental sense: ‘adorned with garlands’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Narada (narration within the Purva Bhaga dialogue tradition; commonly framed as Narada instructing in a didactic account)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Vishnudutas

FAQs

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

It highlights the immediacy of divine grace: Viṣṇu’s attendants appear at the decisive moment, signaling protection, assurance, and the soul’s movement toward safety under Hari’s guardianship.

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

By portraying Viṣṇu’s messengers as arriving instantly, the verse reinforces a core bhakti theme in the Narada Purana: sincere devotion invokes the Lord’s safeguarding presence, especially at critical transitions such as fear, danger, or death.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; it is primarily a theological-visual description (dhyāna-style) supporting devotional contemplation of Viṣṇu’s divine order.