Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 97

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

Devanagari script

तत्संगकृतमोघः स्यात्तावुभावतिपापिनौ । कल्पकोटिसहस्त्रेषु प्रान्पुतो नरकान्क्रमात् ॥ ९७ ॥

Transliteration

tatsaṃgakṛtamoghaḥ syāttāvubhāvatipāpinau | kalpakoṭisahastreṣu prānputo narakānkramāt || 97 ||

Translation

Der Umgang mit solcher Gesellschaft macht die Frucht des Lebens vergeblich; jene beiden werden überaus sündhaft, und über Tausende von Krore an Kalpas werden sie, Schritt um Schritt, in die Höllen getrieben — Leben um Leben.

Word by Word

• तत्-सङ्ग-कृत-मोघः: one whose (merit) is nullified by that association
• तत्-सङ्ग-कृत-मोघः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ + क्त) + मोघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); 'one made futile by association with that'

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन)

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); in apposition to तौ

• अति-पापिनौ: exceedingly sinful
• अति-पापिनौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); predicate-adjective

• कल्प-कोटि-सहस्त्रेषु: in thousands of crores of kalpas
• कल्प-कोटि-सहस्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); time-locative

• प्रान्पुतः: having reached (entered)
• प्रान्पुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + निपातित/रूप; here as past passive participle sense
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); read as प्राप्य/प्राप्तः in sense; denotes 'having reached/entered'

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• क्रमात्: successively
• क्रमात्: Desha-Kala (देश-काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablatival adverbial use (पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत्), 'in order/successively'

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the dialogue on dharma and consequences of bad association)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It warns that association (saṅga) shapes destiny: keeping corrupt company can render one’s spiritual effort ‘mogha’ (wasted) and lead to prolonged suffering through naraka, emphasizing vigilance in choosing influences.

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

Bhakti thrives in satsanga and is weakened by pāpa-saṅga; the verse implies that impure association destroys steadiness and merit, obstructing Vishnu-bhakti and dragging the mind toward lower states.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

While not a technical Vedanga passage, it reflects dharma-śāstra practicality: ethical discipline and right association are foundational supports for mantra, ritual, and study—without them, religious acts become ineffective (mogha).