Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

Saṃsāra-duḥkha: Karmic Descent, Garbhavāsa, Life’s Anxieties, Death, and the Call to Jñāna-Bhakti

Devanagari script

बाल्यभावमासाद्य मातापित्रोरुपाध्यायस्य ताडनं सदा पर्यटनशीलत्वं पांशुभस्मपंकादिषुक्रीडनं सदा कलहनियतत्वाम शुचित्वं बहुव्यापाराभासकार्यनियतत्वं तदसंभव आध्यात्मिकदुःखमेवंविधमनुभवति ॥ २६ ॥

Transliteration

bālyabhāvamāsādya mātāpitrorupādhyāyasya tāḍanaṃ sadā paryaṭanaśīlatvaṃ pāṃśubhasmapaṃkādiṣukrīḍanaṃ sadā kalahaniyatatvāma śucitvaṃ bahuvyāpārābhāsakāryaniyatatvaṃ tadasaṃbhava ādhyātmikaduḥkhamevaṃvidhamanubhavati || 26 ||

Translation

Wenn man in die kindliche Verfassung gerät, erfährt man ein solches inneres (ādhyātmika) Leid: ständig von Eltern und Lehrer geschlagen zu werden, unablässig umherzustreifen, in Staub, Asche und Schlamm zu spielen, fortwährend streitsüchtig zu sein, in Unreinheit zu leben und endlos an die bloße Erscheinung vieler Tätigkeiten gebunden zu sein, ohne wirkliche Vollendung.

Word by Word

• बाल्य-भावम्: the state of childhood
• बाल्य-भावम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (state of childhood)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+सद् (धातु) → आसाद्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having reached/attained’

• मातापित्रोः: of mother and father
• मातापित्रोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (माता+पिता); षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन रूप ‘मातापित्रोः’ (Genitive/Locative dual); अत्र षष्ठी (of mother and father)

• उपाध्यायस्य: of the teacher
• उपाध्यायस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• ताडनम्: beating/chastisement
• ताडनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताडन (प्रातिपदिक; from ताड् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भाववाचक (beating/chastisement)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kālādhi karaṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time: always)

• पर्यटन-शीलत्वम्: habit of wandering about
• पर्यटन-शीलत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्यटन (प्रातिपदिक) + शीलत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (habit of roaming)

• पांशु-भस्म-पङ्क-आदि-षु: in dust, ash, mud, etc.
• पांशु-भस्म-पङ्क-आदि-षु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांशु (प्रातिपदिक) + भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पांशु+भस्म+पङ्क इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (dust, ash, mud) + ‘आदि’; सप्तमी बहुवचन (Locative plural)

• क्रीडनम्: playing
• क्रीडनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडन (प्रातिपदिक; from क्रीड् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भाववाचक (playing)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kālādhi karaṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• कलह-नियतत्वम्: constant quarrelsomeness
• कलह-नियतत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलह (प्रातिपदिक) + नियतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (being fixed on quarrel)

• अशुचित्वम्: uncleanliness
• अशुचित्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-शुचित्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थ (uncleanliness)

• बहु-व्यापार-आभास-कार्य-नियतत्वम्: being occupied with mere semblances of many activities
• बहु-व्यापार-आभास-कार्य-नियतत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यापार (प्रातिपदिक) + आभास (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नियतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (being confined to activities that are only the appearance of many tasks)

• तत्-असम्भवम्: (and) its impossibility
• तत्-असम्भवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + असम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (its impossibility / impossible in that)

• आध्यात्मिक-दुःखम्: spiritual suffering
• आध्यात्मिक-दुःखम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आध्यात्मिक (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मधारय (spiritual suffering)

• एवं-विधम्: of this kind
• एवं-विधम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (‘of such a kind’) विशेषण (qualifying दुःखम्)

• अनुभवति: experiences
• अनुभवति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु+भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a didactic context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: hasya

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It identifies immature, restless, and impure habits as direct causes of ādhyātmika-duḥkha (inner suffering), implying that spiritual progress begins with disciplined conduct, cleanliness, and steadiness.

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

Bhakti requires a stable and purified mind; the verse shows that quarrelsomeness, aimless roaming, and impurity scatter attention and prevent genuine practice—so ethical restraint becomes supportive groundwork for sustained devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Indirectly, it underscores śikṣā and ācāra (discipline and proper conduct) as prerequisites for learning; without steadiness and purity, study and practice become only ‘ābhāsa’—a mere appearance of activity without real attainment.