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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

The Characteristics of Devotion to Hari

यदान्तःकरणैर्युक्तः स्वेच्छया विचरत्यसौ । स्वपन्नित्युच्यते ह्यात्मा यदा स्वापविवर्जितः ॥ १६ ॥

yadāntaḥkaraṇairyuktaḥ svecchayā vicaratyasau | svapannityucyate hyātmā yadā svāpavivarjitaḥ || 16 ||

Wenn das Selbst (Ātman), verbunden mit den inneren Werkzeugen (Geist, Intellekt, Ichgefühl und Erinnerung), nach eigenem Willen umhergeht, wird es wahrlich „der ewig Träumende“ genannt; ist es jedoch frei vom Schlaf, so ist es das Selbst jenseits des Schlafes.

यदाwhen
यदा:
सम्बन्ध/कालाधिकरण (kāla-adhikaraṇa)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal indeclinable: 'when')
अन्तःकरणैःwith the inner faculties (mind etc.)
अन्तःकरणैः:
करण (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्तःकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समास: अन्तः + करण (inner + instrument)
युक्तःconnected, endowed
युक्तः:
कर्तृविशेषण (qualifier of subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootयुज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'joined/connected'
स्वेच्छयाby his own will
स्वेच्छया:
करण (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वेच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समास: स्व + इच्छा (one’s own will)
विचरतिmoves about, acts
विचरति:
क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-चर् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
असौthat one (he)
असौ:
कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअसद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
स्वपन्sleeping
स्वपन्:
कर्तृविशेषण (qualifier of subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वप् (धातु) → स्वपन् (कृदन्त)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'sleeping'
इतिthus
इति:
वाक्यसम्बन्ध (quotative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/निदर्शन-अव्यय (quotative particle)
उच्यतेis called
उच्यते:
क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)
हिindeed
हि:
सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle of emphasis/indeed)
आत्माthe Self
आत्मा:
कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
यदाwhen
यदा:
सम्बन्ध/कालाधिकरण (kāla-adhikaraṇa)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal indeclinable: 'when')
स्वाप-विवर्जितःdevoid of sleep
स्वाप-विवर्जितः:
कर्तृविशेषण (qualifier of subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वाप + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
Formसमास: स्वापस्य विवर्जितः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विवर्जित = वि-वृज् (धातु) → क्त/PPP; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

A
Atman

FAQs

It distinguishes the Self conditioned by the antaḥkaraṇa (which experiences dream-like movement) from the Self that is free from sleep—pointing toward liberation as recognition of consciousness beyond mental states.

While the verse is primarily jñāna-oriented, it supports bhakti by clarifying that devotion matures when one knows the Lord/Reality as the witness beyond mind and sleep-like delusion, rather than identifying with shifting inner states.

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is yogic-psychological: observe how the antaḥkaraṇa conditions experience, and cultivate wakeful awareness beyond svāpa (sleep) and svapna (dream).