Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 92

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

Devanagari script

विप्रग्रामकरादानं योऽनुमन्तातु पापकृत् । स एव कृतवान् राजन्ब्रह्महत्यासहस्त्रकम् ॥ ९२ ॥

Transliteration

vipragrāmakarādānaṃ yo'numantātu pāpakṛt | sa eva kṛtavān rājanbrahmahatyāsahastrakam || 92 ||

Translation

O König, der Sünder, der auch nur der Erhebung von Abgaben von einer Gemeinschaft der Brahmanen zustimmt, ist, als hätte er selbst tausendfach Brahmahatyā (die Tötung eines Brahmanen) begangen.

Word by Word

• विप्र-ग्राम-कर-आदानम्: taking taxes from brāhmaṇa villages
• विप्र-ग्राम-कर-आदानम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + आदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनुमन्ता: approver/one who permits
• अनुमन्ता: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु-√मन् (धातु)
• Form: तृच्-प्रत्यय (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; “approver/consenter”

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: सम्बन्धसूचक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• पाप-कृत्: sin-doer
• पाप-कृत्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + √कृ (धातु, क्विप्)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/क्विपन्त (agent: “doer of sin”); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनुमन्ता इति विशेषण

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: सम्बन्धसूचक (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृतवान्: has done/has committed
• कृतवान्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतुँ (Perfect participle/Periphrastic perfect sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; finite sense with implied ‘अस्ति’

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म-हत्या-सहस्रकम्: a thousand (acts of) brahmin-killing
• ब्रह्म-हत्या-सहस्रकम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ब्रह्महत्या (“killing of a brāhmaṇa”) + सहस्रकम् (“a thousandfold”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It equates even approving oppression (taxation) of Brahmana communities with an extreme mahāpātaka, stressing that dharma is violated not only by action but also by sanctioning wrongdoing.

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

Bhakti to Vishnu is inseparable from dharmic conduct; harming or authorizing harm to those devoted to Vedic study and worship obstructs devotion and accrues heavy papa, making purity of conduct essential for devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied rāja-dharma and smārta-nīti: governance must respect Vedic custodians; the practical takeaway is that policy decisions (even approvals) carry karmic consequences and must align with dharma.