Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31

Jyotiṣa-saṅgraha: Varga-vibhāga, Bala-nirṇaya, Garbha-phala, Āyuḥ-gaṇanā

Devanagari script

सौरारज्ञेज्यशुक्रेंदुसूर्याधिक्यं परस्परम् । पापास्तु बलिनः सौम्या विवक्षाः कण्टकोपगे ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

saurārajñejyaśukreṃdusūryādhikyaṃ parasparam | pāpāstu balinaḥ saumyā vivakṣāḥ kaṇṭakopage || 31 ||

Translation

La prépondérance relative entre Saturne, Mars, Jupiter, Vénus, la Lune et le Soleil doit être jugée les uns par rapport aux autres. Mais lorsque les maléfiques sont puissants—ô doux—les bénéfiques sont à tenir pour inefficaces, comme entravés par une affliction épineuse.

Word by Word

• सौर-अर-ज्ञ-इज्य-शुक्र-इन्दु-सूर्य-अधिक्यम्: mutual predominance of Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Moon, and Sun
• सौर-अर-ज्ञ-इज्य-शुक्र-इन्दु-सूर्य-अधिक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + इज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective copulative) indicating comparative predominance among planets

• परस्परम्: mutually/among themselves
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक used adverbially)
• Form: अव्यय—परस्परार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (reciprocal adverb)

• पापाः: malefics/sinful ones
• पापाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha-suchaka (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (particle)

• बलिनः: strong
• बलिनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘बलिन्’ = possessive adjective ‘strong’

• सौम्याः: benefics
• सौम्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; here as class-name ‘benefics’

• विवक्षाः: are to be mentioned/are intended to be stated
• विवक्षाः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/अनीयर्-भावार्थक? (intended ‘to be stated’); here read as ‘विवक्ष्याः’ (gerundive) but text has ‘विवक्षाः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कण्टक-उपगे: in the ‘thorny’ (inauspicious) condition/approach
• कण्टक-उपगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक) + उपग (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √गम् with उप-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘उपग’ = ‘approach/being in’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within the Moksha Dharma discourse that includes Jyotisha principles)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Saturn
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Venus
• Moon
• Sun

FAQs

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

It teaches discernment: results arise from relative strengths and obstructions. Even ‘good’ influences may not manifest when obstructed—echoing the Purāṇic emphasis that karma’s fruition depends on enabling and blocking conditions.

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

Indirectly, it supports Bhakti by showing that worldly outcomes are unstable and conditional; therefore one should not rely solely on auspicious signs, but take refuge in steady devotion while understanding practical causes of obstacles.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa: comparative assessment of grahas (mutual predominance) and the rule that strong malefics can suppress benefic indications—an applied principle for predictive judgement.