Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

यदा लवोनपुम्राशिर्दृश्यं भागोनयुग्भुवा । भक्तं तथा मूलगुणं ताभ्यां साध्योथ व्यक्तवत् ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

yadā lavonapumrāśirdṛśyaṃ bhāgonayugbhuvā | bhaktaṃ tathā mūlaguṇaṃ tābhyāṃ sādhyotha vyaktavat || 36 ||

Translation

当把可见之聚合取作一“分”——由分割与排列而定——则所谓根本之质 mūla-guṇa 亦如是得定。由此二者，便建立其显现之态，宛如直接可见。

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• लवोनपुम्राशिः: the (male) heap/quantity diminished by a fraction (technical)
• लवोनपुम्राशिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लव-ऊन-पुम्-राशि (प्रातिपदिक; लव + ऊन + पुम् + राशि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृश्यम्: visible/given (known)
• दृश्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• भागोनयुग्भुवा: by the pair (yug) diminished by a part/fraction (technical)
• भागोनयुग्भुवा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग-ऊन-युग्-भू (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; भाग + ऊन + युग् + भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्तम्: divided
• भक्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: thus/in the same way
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: in that manner)

• मूलगुणम्: the root-coefficient (coefficient of the root)
• मूलगुणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल-गुण (प्रातिपदिक; मूल + गुण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताभ्याम्: by those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (contextual), तृतीया/पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Instr/Abl), द्विवचन (Dual)

• साध्यः: is to be obtained/established
• साध्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेयविशेषण (predicative adjective)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Sequencing)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/now)

• व्यक्तवत्: as in the explicit (case)
• व्यक्तवत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व्यक्तवत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: तुल्योपमावाचक अव्यय (indeclinable in -वत्: 'like/as')

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in Moksha-dharma context)

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 teaches a discriminative method: by analyzing the visible world as composed of parts and arrangements, one infers the underlying root qualities, and thereby understands how “manifestation” is established—supporting detachment and moksha-oriented insight.

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

By showing that the visible world is an arranged, analyzable manifestation arising from deeper principles, the verse supports bhakti through viveka: devotion becomes steadier when one sees the world as dependent and derivative, and turns the mind toward the ultimate source beyond changing manifestations.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse primarily reflects philosophical reasoning akin to Sāṅkhya-style analysis rather than a specific Vedanga ritual rule; its practical takeaway is analytical discrimination (viveka) through definition, division, and inference—methods also valued in śāstraic study and vyākaraṇa-style precision.