Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

The Greatness of Viṣṇu

Uttaṅka’s Hymn, Hari’s Manifestation, and the Boon of Bhakti

Devanagari script

सर्वात्मकं सर्वहेतुं सर्वकर्मफलप्रदम् । वरं वरेण्यमजनं प्रणतोऽस्मि परात्परम् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

sarvātmakaṃ sarvahetuṃ sarvakarmaphalapradam | varaṃ vareṇyamajanaṃ praṇato'smi parātparam || 29 ||

Translation

我顶礼那超越一切之上的至上者：祂是一切众生之自我，是万因之因，赐与一切业行之果；祂至善、最堪礼敬，且本无生。

Word by Word

• sarva-ātmakam: having all as its self; all-formed
• sarva-ātmakam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (आत्मक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘sarvaḥ ātmā yasya / sarvarūpaḥ’ (all-souled/all-constituted)

• sarva-hetum: the cause of all
• sarva-hetum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व) + hetu (हेतु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘sarveṣāṃ hetuḥ’

• sarva-karma-phala-pradam: giver of the fruits of all actions
• sarva-karma-phala-pradam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व) + karma (कर्मन्) + phala (फल) + prada (प्रद प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘sarveṣāṃ karmāṇāṃ phalāni pradāti’

• varam: best
• varam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (वर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; superlative sense ‘best/excellent’

• vareṇyam: worthy of choice (adorable)
• vareṇyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vareṇya (वरेण्य प्रातिपदिक; from √vṛ ‘to choose’)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; ‘fit to be chosen/adorable’

• ajanam: unborn
• ajanam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajana (अजन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; ‘unborn’

• praṇataḥ: (I am) prostrated
• praṇataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-nam (प्र+नम् धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘bowed/prostrated’

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 1st person, Singular

• parāt-paramam: higher than the highest
• parāt-paramam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parāt (परात् अव्यय/तद्धित-रूप) + parama (परम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘parāt api paramam’ (higher than the high)

Speaker

Narada (in the form of a hymn of obeisance to the Supreme Lord, identified in Purāṇic usage as Vishnu/Narayana)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Narayana

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme Lord as simultaneously immanent (the Self of all) and transcendent (beyond the highest), grounding devotion in the understanding that all karma and its results ultimately rest in Him.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as praṇati (humble surrender): recognizing the Lord as the most worthy object of worship (vareṇya) and offering oneself to Him as the ultimate refuge beyond all worldly causation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse chiefly reflects karmic doctrine rather than a specific Vedāṅga practice: it emphasizes karma-phala (results of actions), a key framework used in ritual reasoning (Kalpa) and ethical discipline (Dharma) even when technical details are not stated.