Nārada Bhakti Sūtras / The form of the love (स्वरूप) / 1
1
the Nārada Bhakti Sūtras (नारद भक्ति सूत्रस्)
अथातो भक्तिं व्याख्यास्यामः athāto bhaktiṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ
The line
Now, therefore, we shall explain devotion.
नेपालीमा
अब त्यसैले हामी भक्तिको व्याख्या गर्नेछौं।
Where it sits
This sūtra (सूत्र) starts the chapter on the form of the supreme bhakti. The chapter name in the Sanskrit Documents text is prathamo 'dhyāyaḥ (ध्यायः) parabhaktisvarūpam (परभक्तिस्वरूपम्). That heading stands before this line. The numbered sūtra (सूत्र) begins with atha.
Split: atha (अथ) + ataḥ (अतः) + bhaktim (भक्तिम्) + vyākhyāsyāmaḥ (व्याख्यास्यामः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| atha (अथ) | indeclinable | now. The opening of a teaching. |
| ataḥ (अतः) | indeclinable | therefore. Recited inside athāto (अथातो). The visarga becomes o before b (ब्). |
| bhaktim (भक्तिम्) | accusative singular, feminine | devotion. Object of the verb. |
| vyākhyāsyāmaḥ (व्याख्यास्यामः) | future first person plural | we shall explain. From vi (वि) plus ā (आ) plus khyā (ख्या), to make clear. |
The phrases
atha and ataḥ (अतः) open the sentence. bhaktim is what the future verb will explain. The speaker is the first person plural of the sūtra (सूत्र), and this line does not give a name.
Sanskrit in this line
atha plus ataḥ (अतः) is athātaḥ (अथातः), because a plus a becomes ā (आ). The visarga of ataḥ (अतः) before the voiced b of bhaktim becomes o, so the recited line is athāto (अथातो).
Say it back
What is going to be explained?