Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 108

Jyotiṣa-śāstra Saṅgraha: Threefold Division, Gaṇita Methods, Muhūrta, and Planetary Reckoning

Devanagari script

संशोध्यं तु त्रिजीवायां कर्कादौ कोटिजं फलम् । तद्बाहुफलवर्गैक्यान्मूलकर्णश्चलाभिधः ॥ १०८ ॥

Transliteration

saṃśodhyaṃ tu trijīvāyāṃ karkādau koṭijaṃ phalam | tadbāhuphalavargaikyānmūlakarṇaścalābhidhaḥ || 108 ||

Translation

然而在tri-jīvā之法中，自Karka（巨蟹）等起，由koṭi（垂线）所得之果当加以校正。由bāhu（臂）之平方与phala（结果）之平方合并相加，得mūla-karṇa，名为calā，即“移动之斜弦”。

Word by Word

• संशोध्यम्: to be corrected/adjusted
• संशोध्यम्: Vidhi (विधि/Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-शुध्/शोध् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• त्रिजीवायाम्: in the trijīvā (technical context)
• त्रिजीवायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिजीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कर्कादौ: in Karka and the rest (starting from Cancer)
• कर्कादौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्क + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘आदि’ अन्तः

• कोटिजम्: arising from the koṭi (cosine-related)
• कोटिजम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• फलम्: result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः)

• बाहुफलवर्गैक्यात्: from the unity/sum of the squares of the arm-results
• बाहुफलवर्गैक्यात्: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु + फल + वर्ग + ऐक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः

• मूलकर्णः: the root-hypotenuse (mūlakarṇa)
• मूलकर्णः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चलाभिधः: called ‘calā’
• चलाभिधः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चला + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (‘-अभिध’ = ‘named’)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical explanatory passage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Karka (Cancer)

FAQs

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

It highlights that accurate knowledge (śāstra-pramāṇa) requires refinement and correction—an ethic of precision that supports right timing and right understanding in dharma and spiritual practice.

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

Indirectly: by insisting on correct computation and disciplined method, it supports proper observance of sacred timings and duties that traditionally accompany devotional life, even though the verse itself is technical rather than devotional.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa/Gaṇita-style computation: correcting a derived value and then forming the mūla-karṇa (hypotenuse) from the sum of squares of bāhu and phala—i.e., a Pythagorean-type step used in astronomical/astrological calculations.