Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam

The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya

Devanagari script

नाशमायाति विप्रेन्द्र तस्मिन्काले जगत्त्रयम् । मानुषेण सहस्रेण यत्प्रमाणं भवेच्छृणु ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

nāśamāyāti viprendra tasminkāle jagattrayam | mānuṣeṇa sahasreṇa yatpramāṇaṃ bhavecchṛṇu || 29 ||

Translation

Hỡi bậc tối thượng trong hàng Bà-la-môn, vào thời ấy ba cõi (tam giới) đi đến chỗ hoại diệt. Nay hãy nghe thước đo của thời gian ấy, được tính theo hàng nghìn năm của loài người.

Word by Word

• nāśam: destruction
• nāśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• āyāti: comes/attains
• āyāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या धातु) + ā- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vipra-indra: O best of Brahmins
• vipra-indra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāle: time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• jagat-trayam: the three worlds
• jagat-trayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mānuṣeṇa: by a human (measure)
• mānuṣeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) used substantively, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sahasreṇa: by a thousand
• sahasreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• yat: which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• pramāṇam: measure/standard
• pramāṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavet: would be/is to be
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• śṛṇu: hear
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Jagattraya

FAQs

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

It highlights the inevitability of pralaya (dissolution) for all the three worlds, directing the listener to understand cosmic time as a way to cultivate detachment and seek the imperishable (moksha).

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

By stressing that even the entire jagattraya perishes in time, the verse indirectly points to taking refuge in the timeless Lord; bhakti becomes the stable support when worldly and even heavenly attainments are transient.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to kala-nirṇaya (determination of time measures), a practical foundation used in Jyotiṣa (Vedic astronomy/astrology) for computing large cycles and understanding scriptural cosmological chronology.