Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

Dharmopadeśa-Śānti: Rules of Impurity, Expiations, and Ancestor Rites

Devanagari script

तपत्कृच्छ्रपरिक्षिप्तो मौर्वीहोमेन शुद्ध्यति । महापातककर्त्तारश्चत्वारोऽथ विशेषतः ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

tapatkṛcchraparikṣipto maurvīhomena śuddhyati | mahāpātakakarttāraścatvāro'tha viśeṣataḥ || 29 ||

Translation

Celui qui a entrepris la rude pénitence appelée Tapat-kṛcchra est purifié par le Maurvī-homa. Et, tout particulièrement, il existe quatre catégories d’êtres désignés comme auteurs des grands péchés (mahāpātaka).

Word by Word

• tapatkṛcchraparikṣiptaḥ: one subjected to the ‘tapat-kṛcchra’ penance
• tapatkṛcchraparikṣiptaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapat-kṛcchra-parikṣipta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; tap (धातु) + kṛcchra + pari-√kṣip (धातु))
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle (क्त/ktá) of pari-√kṣip ‘thrown into/subjected to’; qualifying an implied person

• maurvīhomena: by the Maurvī-homa (a specific oblation rite)
• maurvīhomena: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maurvī-homa (प्रातिपदिक; maurvī + homa)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• śuddhyati: is purified
• śuddhyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śudh (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्/Laṭ), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Ātmanepada/Parasmaipada usage varies; here intransitive ‘becomes pure’

• mahāpātakakarttāraḥ: perpetrators of great sins
• mahāpātakakarttāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-pātaka-kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक; mahā + pātaka + kartṛ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); kartṛ-śabda (agent noun)

• catvāraḥ: four
• catvāraḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāri/catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); numeral

• atha: now/then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; discourse particle (अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; adverb (विशेषणार्थ)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a dharma/prāyaścitta context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Tapat-kṛcchra (taptakṛcchra)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

FAQs

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

It links inner austerity (tapat-kṛcchra) with an external Vedic rite (maurvī-homa), teaching that purification is achieved through disciplined penance supported by properly prescribed ritual action.

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

While the verse is primarily about expiation, it supports bhakti indirectly by emphasizing moral purification—removing the weight of grave sins so the mind becomes fit for sustained devotion and remembrance of the Divine.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied: the verse specifies a particular homa (Maurvī-homa) as the technical means of purification, reflecting the śrauta/smārta framework of prāyaścitta.