Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 54

Janaka’s Quest for Liberation; Pañcaśikha’s Sāṅkhya on Renunciation, Elements, Guṇas, and the Deathless State

Devanagari script

पंचशिख उवाच । उच्छेदनिष्टा नेहास्ति भावनिष्टा न विद्यते । अयं ह्यपि समाहारः शरीरेंद्रियचेतसाम् ॥ ५४ ॥

Transliteration

paṃcaśikha uvāca | ucchedaniṣṭā nehāsti bhāvaniṣṭā na vidyate | ayaṃ hyapi samāhāraḥ śarīreṃdriyacetasām || 54 ||

Translation

Pañcaśikha dijo: «Aquí no hay una conclusión en la aniquilación, ni la hay en la mera afirmación. Pues esto también es sólo un agregado compuesto de cuerpo, sentidos y mente».

Word by Word

• पञ्चशिखः: Pañcaśikha
• पञ्चशिखः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्या) + शिख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि—पञ्च शिखाः यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उच्छेद-निष्ठा: cessation as the final end (annihilation-doctrine)
• उच्छेद-निष्ठा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः—उच्छेदे निष्ठा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध/Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध अव्यय (negation)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भाव-निष्ठा: existence/being as the final end (eternalism-doctrine)
• भाव-निष्ठा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः—भावे निष्ठा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध/Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध अव्यय (negation)

• विद्यते: is found; exists
• विद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also/even)

• समाहारः: aggregate; collection
• समाहारः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शरीर-इन्द्रिय-चेतसाम्: of bodies, senses, and minds
• शरीर-इन्द्रिय-चेतसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (co-ordinative): शरीराणि च इन्द्रियाणि च चेतांसि च; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Pañcaśikha

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Pañcaśikha

FAQs

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

It rejects two extremes—seeing liberation as total annihilation (uccheda) or as mere conceptual affirmation (bhāva)—and points to discerning the self beyond the composite of body, senses, and mind.

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

By de-identifying from the body–sense–mind aggregate, the seeker becomes fit for steady devotion to the Supreme (often taught in the Narada Purana as Viṣṇu-bhakti), because bhakti matures when egoic identification drops.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this verse; it functions as mokṣa-śāstra guidance—right discrimination (viveka) about śarīra, indriya, and cetas—supporting disciplined study and practice.