Nārada Bhakti Sūtras / Its greatness (महत्त्व) / 25
25
the Nārada Bhakti Sūtras (नारद भक्ति सूत्रस्)
द्वितीयोऽध्यायः परभक्तिमहत्त्वम् सा तु कर्मज्ञानयोगेभ्योऽप्यधिकतरा dvitīyo 'dhyāyaḥ parabhaktimahattvam sā tu karmajñānayogebhyo 'py adhikatarā
The line
Second chapter: the greatness of the supreme devotion. And she is greater even than action, knowledge, and yoga.
नेपालीमा
दोस्रो अध्याय, सर्वोच्च भक्तिको महत्त्व। त्यो भक्ति कर्म, ज्ञान र योगभन्दा पनि बढी हो।
Where it sits
This sūtra (सूत्र) starts the chapter on its greatness. The chapter name is the name in the Sanskrit Documents text, dvitīyo (द्वितीयो) 'dhyāyaḥ (ध्यायः) parabhaktimahattvam, and those heading words stand inside this numbered line.
Split: dvitīyaḥ (द्वितीयः) + adhyāyaḥ (अध्यायः) + parabhaktimahattvam (परभक्तिमहत्त्वम्) + sā (सा) + tu (तु) + karmajñānayogebhyaḥ (कर्मज्ञानयोगेभ्यः) + api (अपि) + adhikatarā (अधिकतरा)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| dvitīyaḥ (द्वितीयः) | nominative singular, masculine | second. Agrees with adhyāyaḥ (अध्यायः). Recited dvitīyo (द्वितीयो) before a vowel. |
| adhyāyaḥ (अध्यायः) | nominative singular, masculine | chapter. The a is the avagraha after dvitīyo (द्वितीयो). |
| parabhaktimahattvam (परभक्तिमहत्त्वम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the greatness of the supreme devotion. para (पर) is supreme. bhakti (भक्ति) is devotion. mahattva (महत्त्व) is greatness. The chapter name. Read from the end. |
| sā (सा) | nominative singular, feminine | she. The devotion. |
| tu (तु) | indeclinable | and, with a turn. From the form just closed, to the greatness. |
| karmajñānayogebhyaḥ (कर्मज्ञानयोगेभ्यः) | ablative plural, masculine | than action, than knowledge, and than yoga. karma (कर्म) is action. jñāna (ज्ञान) is knowledge. yoga (योग) is yoga. Ablative of comparison. Recited yogebhyo (योगेभ्यो) before a vowel. Read from the end. |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. The a is the avagraha, and the i joins the next vowel as y. |
| adhikatarā (अधिकतरा) | nominative singular, feminine | greater, more exceeding. Comparative, feminine. Agrees with sā (सा). |
The phrases
dvitīyaḥ (द्वितीयः) agrees with adhyāyaḥ (अध्यायः). parabhaktimahattvam is the name set with them. sā (सा) is the devotion, and adhikatarā (अधिकतरा) agrees with her. The ablative plural is the standard of comparison. api puts her above even those three.
Sanskrit in this line
dvitīyaḥ (द्वितीयः) plus adhyāyaḥ (अध्यायः) is dvitīyo (द्वितीयो) 'dhyāyaḥ (ध्यायः). yogebhyaḥ (योगेभ्यः) plus api is yogebhyo 'pi, and api plus adhikatarā (अधिकतरा) is apyadhikatarā (अप्यधिकतरा), i plus a becoming ya. Inside mahattvam, mahat plus tva doubles the t. That doubling belongs to the grammar of mahat.
Say it back
Greater than which three?