Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 106

Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy

Devanagari script

स याति नरकं घोरं यावदाचन्द्रतारकम् । ब्रह्मस्वहरणं राजन्निहामुत्र च दुःखदम् ॥ १०६ ॥

Transliteration

sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ yāvadācandratārakam | brahmasvaharaṇaṃ rājannihāmutra ca duḥkhadam || 106 ||

Translation

O König, er geht in eine schreckliche Hölle, solange der Mond und die Sterne bestehen. Der Diebstahl des Eigentums eines Brahmanen bringt Leiden sowohl hier (in dieser Welt) als auch im Jenseits.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरकम्)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-सूचक (until/as long as)

• आ-चन्द्र-तारकम्: up to (the time of) the moon and stars
• आ-चन्द्र-तारकम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः: 'चन्द्रतारकपर्यन्तम्' (up to the moon and stars)

• ब्रह्म-स्व-हरणम्: the stealing of brahmin property
• ब्रह्म-स्व-हरणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हरण (हृ-धातु, ल्युट्/अन-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः स्वस्य हरणम्)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here/in this world)

• अमुत्र: there (in the next world)
• अमुत्र: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there/in the other world)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• दुःख-दम्: giving sorrow
• दुःख-दम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + द (दा-धातु, क-प्रत्यय/प्रत्ययान्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (दुःखं ददाति इति) विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मस्वहरणम्)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing the King within the narrative context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

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

It underscores that violating dharma by stealing a brāhmaṇa’s wealth is a grave karmic offense, producing prolonged naraka-experience and suffering across both worldly life and the afterlife.

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

Bhakti in the Purāṇic sense is inseparable from dharma; devotion to the Lord is protected by ethical conduct, and this verse warns that adharma like brahma-sva-haraṇa obstructs spiritual progress and inner purity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Dharmic application of śāstra: it reflects smṛti-style legal-ethical reasoning (daṇḍa and karmaphala) rather than a technical Vedāṅga lesson, emphasizing how scriptural norms guide conduct.