Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 106

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

Devanagari script

स याति नरकं घोरं यावदाचन्द्रतारकम् । ब्रह्मस्वहरणं राजन्निहामुत्र च दुःखदम् ॥ १०६ ॥

Transliteration

sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ yāvadācandratārakam | brahmasvaharaṇaṃ rājannihāmutra ca duḥkhadam || 106 ||

Translation

Ô Roi, il va dans un enfer effroyable aussi longtemps que durent la lune et les étoiles. Le vol des biens d'un brāhmaṇa apporte la souffrance à la fois ici (dans ce monde) et dans l'au-delà.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरकम्)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-सूचक (until/as long as)

• आ-चन्द्र-तारकम्: up to (the time of) the moon and stars
• आ-चन्द्र-तारकम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः: 'चन्द्रतारकपर्यन्तम्' (up to the moon and stars)

• ब्रह्म-स्व-हरणम्: the stealing of brahmin property
• ब्रह्म-स्व-हरणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हरण (हृ-धातु, ल्युट्/अन-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः स्वस्य हरणम्)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here/in this world)

• अमुत्र: there (in the next world)
• अमुत्र: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there/in the other world)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• दुःख-दम्: giving sorrow
• दुःख-दम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + द (दा-धातु, क-प्रत्यय/प्रत्ययान्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (दुःखं ददाति इति) विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मस्वहरणम्)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing the King within the narrative context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

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

It underscores that violating dharma by stealing a brāhmaṇa’s wealth is a grave karmic offense, producing prolonged naraka-experience and suffering across both worldly life and the afterlife.

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

Bhakti in the Purāṇic sense is inseparable from dharma; devotion to the Lord is protected by ethical conduct, and this verse warns that adharma like brahma-sva-haraṇa obstructs spiritual progress and inner purity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Dharmic application of śāstra: it reflects smṛti-style legal-ethical reasoning (daṇḍa and karmaphala) rather than a technical Vedāṅga lesson, emphasizing how scriptural norms guide conduct.