Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 74

Bharata’s Attachment and the Palanquin Teaching on ‘I’ and ‘Mine’

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । धर्माधर्मौ न संदेहः सर्वकार्येषु कारणम् । उपभोगनिमित्तं च देहाद्देहांतरागमः ॥ ७४ ॥

Transliteration

rājovāca | dharmādharmau na saṃdehaḥ sarvakāryeṣu kāraṇam | upabhoganimittaṃ ca dehāddehāṃtarāgamaḥ || 74 ||

Translation

Le roi dit : Il n’y a aucun doute que le dharma et l’adharma sont les causes de toutes les actions et de leurs fruits ; et c’est afin d’éprouver les fruits du karma que l’être incarné passe d’un corps à un autre.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• धर्म-अधर्मौ: dharma and adharma
• धर्म-अधर्मौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व

• न: not/no
• न: Nishedha (निषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• संदेहः: doubt
• संदेहः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative; ‘no doubt’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्व-कार्येषु: in all actions/undertakings
• सर्व-कार्येषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि कार्याणि)

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उपभोग-निमित्तम्: the cause for experiencing
• उपभोग-निमित्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative; appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपभोग (प्रातिपदिक) + निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उपभोगस्य निमित्तम् = cause for experiencing)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• देहात्: from (one) body
• देहात्: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• देह-अन्तर-आगमः: the coming to another body (transmigration)
• देह-अन्तर-आगमः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देहान्तरस्य आगमः = coming to another body)

Speaker

The King (Rājā)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

FAQs

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

It states a core Moksha-Dharma principle: moral causality governs experience—dharma and adharma generate results, and rebirth occurs so the jīva can undergo those karmic fruits until liberation is sought.

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

By highlighting bondage through karma and rebirth, it implicitly points to the need for a liberating path; in Narada Purana, Vishnu-bhakti is taught as a means to purify karma, lessen attachment to “upabhoga,” and move toward moksha.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is directly taught in this verse; the takeaway is ethical-ritual causality (karma-phala), which underlies Vedic conduct and prescribed duties.