Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4

Yuga-Dharma Framework, Kali-Yuga Diagnosis, and the Hari-Nāma Remedy

Transition to Vedānta Inquiry

Devanagari script

कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च कलिश्चेति चतुर्युगम् । दिव्यैर्द्वादशभिर्ज्ञेयं वत्सरैस्तत्र सत्तम ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

kṛtaṃ tretā dvāparaṃ ca kaliśceti caturyugam | divyairdvādaśabhirjñeyaṃ vatsaraistatra sattama || 4 ||

Translation

Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara và Kali—bốn thời đại ấy hợp lại thành một caturyuga. Bạch bậc hiền thiện tối thượng, hãy biết rằng lượng của nó là mười hai năm của chư thiên.

Word by Word

• कृतम्: Kṛta (Satya) yuga
• कृतम्: Karta (कर्ता; as member of enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम

• त्रेता: Tretā yuga
• त्रेता: Karta (कर्ता; as member of enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम

• द्वापरम्: Dvāpara yuga
• द्वापरम्: Karta (कर्ता; as member of enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कलिः: Kali yuga
• कलिः: Karta (कर्ता; as member of enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-निर्देशक-अव्यय (quotative/marker)

• चतुर्-युगम्: the set of four yugas
• चतुर्-युगम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; what is to be known)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वक: ‘चत्वारि युगानि’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘वत्सरैः’

• द्वादशभिः: twelve
• द्वादशभिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘वत्सरैः’

• ज्ञेयम्: is to be known
• ज्ञेयम्: Vidhi (विधि/Predicative necessity)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त भाव्य/विधेय कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be known’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वत्सरैः: by years (as measure)
• वत्सरैः: Karana (करण/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तत्र: there, in that (reckoning)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘there/in that context’)

• सत्तम: O best of the good
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It frames human history within a sacred cosmological cycle (caturyuga), reminding the seeker that dharma and spiritual practice are guided by time (kāla) and its changing conditions.

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

By defining the yuga-cycle, it prepares the context for yuga-appropriate sādhanā—especially the emphasis on accessible devotion and remembrance in later ages like Kali, as taught in Purāṇic tradition.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to Jyotiṣa-style time reckoning—using “divine years” as a technical unit for calculating larger cosmological periods like yugas.