Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

Bhuvaneśī (Nidrā-Śakti) Mantra-vidhi, Nyāsa–Āvaraṇa Worship, Padma-homa Prayogas, and the Opening of Śrī-Mahālakṣmī Upāsanā

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । कलिकल्पांतरे ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । लोकपद्मे तपस्थस्य सृष्ट्यर्थं संबभूवतुः ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | kalikalpāṃtare brahman brahmaṇo'vyaktajanmanaḥ | lokapadme tapasthasya sṛṣṭyarthaṃ saṃbabhūvatuḥ || 1 ||

Translation

善达库玛罗说道：婆罗门啊，在迦梨劫的另一轮回中，当梵天（Brahmā）——其生起本为不显——于诸世界之莲上修行苦行之时，为了创造之业，“那两者”便应运而生。

Word by Word

• sanat-kumāraḥ: Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (प्रातिपदिक) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; वक्तृवाचक

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• kali-kalpa-antare: in the interval of the Kali-kalpa
• kali-kalpa-antare: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘कलिकल्पस्य अन्तरम्’

• brahman: O Brahman (sage)
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• avyakta-janmanaḥ: whose birth is unmanifest
• avyakta-janmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘ब्रह्मणः’ इति; ‘अव्यक्तं जन्म यस्य’

• loka-padme: in the lotus of the world
• loka-padme: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘लोकस्य पद्मम्’

• tapasthasya: of the ascetic (engaged in tapas)
• tapasthasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘ब्रह्मणः’ इति; ‘तपसि स्थितः’

• sṛṣṭi-artham: for creation
• sṛṣṭi-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (purpose)

• saṃbabhūvatuḥ: came into being (the two arose)
• saṃbabhūvatuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) with sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It frames creation as arising from Brahmā’s tapas and from an unmanifest source, highlighting that manifested worlds proceed from disciplined spiritual potency and subtle (avyakta) causality.

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

While not directly teaching bhakti, it establishes the Purāṇic worldview in which devotion later functions: creation itself is ordered by divine principle, and spiritual practice (tapas) is presented as efficacious within that order.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse primarily gives kalpa/cosmology (time-cycle context) rather than a specific Vedāṅga rule; it supports later technical discussions by situating them within a structured kalpa framework.