Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9

Uttaraloka

Northern Higher World), Dharma–Adharma Viveka, and Adhyatma-Prashna (Prelude

Devanagari script

इह धर्मपराः केचित्केचिन्नैष्कृतिका नराः । सुखिता दुःखिताः केचिन्निर्धना धनिनो परे ॥ ९ ॥

Transliteration

iha dharmaparāḥ kecitkecinnaiṣkṛtikā narāḥ | sukhitā duḥkhitāḥ kecinnirdhanā dhanino pare || 9 ||

Translation

In dieser Welt sind manche dem Dharma ergeben, andere leben ohne moralische Zügel; einige sind glücklich, andere unglücklich; einige sind arm, andere reich.

Word by Word

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• धर्मपराः: devoted to dharma
• धर्मपराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-पर (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (plural); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: धर्मे पराः = धर्मनिष्ठाः

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• केचिन्: some (others)
• केचिन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘केचित्’ इत्यस्य रूपान्तरम् (before consonant)

• नैष्कृतिकाः: sinful/immoral (wrong-doing)
• नैष्कृतिकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैष्कृतिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् नराः

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सुखिताः: happy
• सुखिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखित (प्रातिपदिक; √सुख्? (denom) / सुख + इत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भाववाचक-विशेषण (state adjective)

• दुःखिताः: unhappy/suffering
• दुःखिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक; दुःख + इत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (state adjective)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• निर्धनाः: poor
• निर्धनाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धन (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + धन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्/निर्-उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषण

• धनिनः: wealthy
• धनिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (possessive adjective)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘others’ अर्थे (substantivized adjective)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-Dharma section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

FAQs

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

It points to the observable diversity of human states—virtue and vice, happiness and sorrow, poverty and wealth—setting up a Moksha-Dharma reflection that worldly conditions vary and should be interpreted through dharma and karmic causality rather than mere chance.

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

By contrasting dharma-oriented people with the morally unrestrained, it implicitly supports the bhakti-friendly Purāṇic emphasis that disciplined living (dharma) stabilizes the mind and prepares one for sustained devotion and liberation-oriented practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is ethical discernment (dharma vs. adharma) as a foundation that complements Vedic disciplines like ritual practice and scriptural study.