Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 98

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

Devanagari script

देवद्रव्यापहर्त्तारो गुरुद्रव्यापहारकाः । ब्रह्महत्याव्रतसमं दुष्कृतं भुञ्जते नृप ॥ ९८ ॥

Transliteration

devadravyāpaharttāro gurudravyāpahārakāḥ | brahmahatyāvratasamaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ bhuñjate nṛpa || 98 ||

Translation

O King, those who steal wealth belonging to the gods, and those who steal the wealth of their guru, reap evil karma equal to the great sin and expiatory burden of the Brahmahatyā-vrata.

Word by Word

• देव-द्रव्य-अपहर्तारः: stealers of divine property
• देव-द्रव्य-अपहर्तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अपहर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवस्य द्रव्यस्य अपहर्तारः)

• गुरु-द्रव्य-अपहारकाः: stealers of a teacher’s property
• गुरु-द्रव्य-अपहारकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अपहारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः द्रव्यस्य अपहारकाः)

• ब्रह्म-हत्या-व्रत-समम्: equal to the vow/penance for brahmahatyā
• ब्रह्म-हत्या-व्रत-समम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्महत्यायाः व्रतं तेन समम्)

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed; sin
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भुञ्जते: they experience/suffer
• भुञ्जते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressed to a king within the discourse as 'nṛpa')

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Brahmahatyā-vrata (referenced as a comparative expiatory burden)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Guru
• Brahmin

FAQs

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

It establishes that misappropriating sacred assets (devadravya) or a guru’s property is not a minor fault but a grave adharma, producing heavy karmic bondage comparable to the burden of brahmahatyā-related expiation.

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

Bhakti in the Narada Purana is grounded in purity of conduct—reverence for the divine and the guru. Stealing from temple offerings or the teacher contradicts devotion, because it violates śraddhā, seva, and dharmic integrity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights dharma-śāstric application of prāyaścitta and vrata logic—how actions are graded by severity and linked to specific expiatory categories (here, the benchmark is brahmahatyā-vrata).