Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5

Threefold Suffering, Twofold Knowledge, and the Definition of Bhagavān (Vāsudeva); Prelude to Keśidhvaja–Janaka Yoga

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तत्प्राप्तये यत्नः कर्तव्यः पंडितैर्नरैः । तत्प्राप्तिहेतुज्ञानं च कर्म चोक्तं महामुने ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

tasmāttatprāptaye yatnaḥ kartavyaḥ paṃḍitairnaraiḥ | tatprāptihetujñānaṃ ca karma coktaṃ mahāmune || 5 ||

Translation

Darum müssen weise Menschen sich bemühen, Jenem (dem höchsten Ziel) zu erlangen. Und, o großer Muni, sowohl das Wissen um die Ursache, die zu seinem Erreichen führt, als auch die angemessene geistliche Praxis (Karma) sind gelehrt worden.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान/Source-cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित-निपातवत्; अपादानार्थे (ablatival adverbial: ‘therefore/from that’)

• तत्-प्राप्तये: for attaining that
• तत्-प्राप्तये: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘attainment of that’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• यत्नः: effort
• यत्नः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्तव्यः: must be done
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (क्रिया/Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative; -तव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be done/should be done’

• पण्डितैः: by the learned
• पण्डितैः: Karana (करण/Instrument-agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (करण/Instrument-agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तत्-प्राप्ति-हेतु-ज्ञानम्: knowledge of the means to attain that
• तत्-प्राप्ति-हेतु-ज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (श्रृङ्खला; ‘knowledge of the cause/means of attaining that’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• कर्म: action (practice)
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• उक्तम्: has been stated
• उक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predication)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘has been said’

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (‘great sage’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (addressing Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that liberation is not accidental: the wise must exert sincere effort, grounded in right understanding of the means (hetu-jñāna) and supported by appropriate spiritual practice (karma/sādhana).

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

While the verse does not name bhakti explicitly, it frames the Narada Purana approach: attainment of the Supreme requires both correct knowledge and lived practice—within this text’s moksha-dharma, bhakti becomes effective when supported by clarity of the goal and disciplined observance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana or Jyotisha) is singled out; the practical takeaway is methodological—know the true means (hetu) and then apply it through prescribed karma (disciplined practice/ritual or sādhana) as taught in moksha-dharma.