Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

Varṇāśrama Saṁskāras, Upanayana Windows, Brahmacārin Ācāra, and Anadhyāya Prohibitions

Devanagari script

यः स्वधर्मं परित्यज्य परधर्मं समाचरेत् । पाषंडः स हि विज्ञेयः सर्वधर्मबहिष्कृतः ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

yaḥ svadharmaṃ parityajya paradharmaṃ samācaret | pāṣaṃḍaḥ sa hi vijñeyaḥ sarvadharmabahiṣkṛtaḥ || 2 ||

Translation

Wer seine eigene Svadharma aufgibt und die Paradharma eines anderen ausübt, ist wahrlich als Pāṣaṇḍa (Irrgläubiger) zu erkennen; er ist von allem Dharma ausgeschlossen.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• स्वधर्मम्: one’s own duty
• स्वधर्मम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: स्वस्य धर्मः → स्वधर्मः

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having abandoned)

• परधर्मम्: another’s duty
• परधर्मम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: परस्य धर्मः → परधर्मः

• समाचरेत्: should practice
• समाचरेत्: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ√चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पाषण्डः: a heretic, hypocrite
• पाषण्डः: कर्ता/प्रत्यय (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic/causal particle)

• विज्ञेयः: is to be known (as)
• विज्ञेयः: विधेय/प्रत्यय (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive), -एय (to be known), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate: should be known)

• सर्वधर्म-बहिष्कृतः: excluded from all dharmas
• सर्वधर्म-बहिष्कृतः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, बहिः+√कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः: सर्वेभ्यः धर्मेभ्यः बहिष्कृतः (ablative sense)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in the Narada Purana dialogue tradition, commonly framed with the Sanatkumara lineage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

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

It establishes svadharma as the stable foundation of spiritual life: progress toward purification and moksha is supported when conduct aligns with one’s rightful station, duties, and scriptural rule rather than imitation or opportunism.

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

It implies that authentic bhakti is not a rejection of righteous duty; devotion to Vishnu is to be practiced without discarding one’s legitimate responsibilities, so that bhakti remains grounded in dharma rather than becoming performative or disruptive.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to the need for dharma-niścaya (proper determination of duty) based on śāstra—supported by Vedanga disciplines like Kalpa (ritual and conduct manuals) and Vyākaraṇa (precise understanding of injunctions) to avoid misapplying rules meant for others.