Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 61

The Exposition of Spiritual Knowledge

Jñāna-pradarśanam

Devanagari script

जानन्तिरुवाच । सत्यं सत्यं महाभाग चित्तं भ्रान्तं सुनिश्चितम् । अविद्यानिलयं चित्तं कथं सद्भावमेष्यति ॥ ६१ ॥

Transliteration

jānantiruvāca | satyaṃ satyaṃ mahābhāga cittaṃ bhrāntaṃ suniścitam | avidyānilayaṃ cittaṃ kathaṃ sadbhāvameṣyati || 61 ||

Translation

Jānanti dit : «Vraiment, vraiment, ô bienheureux, l’esprit est assurément égaré. Puisque l’esprit est le séjour de l’ignorance (avidyā), comment pourrait-il atteindre l’être véritable, la juste réalité ?»

Word by Word

• जानन्ती: Jānantī
• जानन्ती: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jānantī (जानन्ती प्रातिपदिक; √jñā + शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle used as proper noun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/assertion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (सत्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्ये निपातवत् (used adverbially as assertion)

• सत्यम्: truth (indeed)
• सत्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (सत्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (भाग प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (महान् भागो यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• चित्तम्: mind
• चित्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (चित्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भ्रान्तम्: deluded
• भ्रान्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of ‘चित्तम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhrānta (भ्रान्त प्रातिपदिक; √bhram + kta)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुनिश्चितम्: certainly fixed / well-determined
• सुनिश्चितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of ‘चित्तम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (सु उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + niścita (निश्चित प्रातिपदिक; √niś-ci + kta)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (सु + निश्चितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अविद्या-निलयम्: abode of ignorance
• अविद्या-निलयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of ‘चित्तम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avidyā (अविद्या प्रातिपदिक) + nilaya (निलय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अविद्यायाः निलयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चित्तम्: mind
• चित्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject of ‘एष्यति’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (चित्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न/modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सद्भावम्: true state / reality
• सद्भावम्: Karma (कर्म/object of ‘एष्यति’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadbhāva (सद्भाव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (or नपुंसक in some usages; here treated as masculine abstract), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• एष्यति: will reach / will attain
• एष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √i (इ धातु) + eṣya (future stem)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Jānanti

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

FAQs

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

It highlights a core moksha teaching: the ordinary mind (citta) is naturally prone to भ्रम (delusion) and functions as a seat of avidyā, so liberation requires transforming or transcending this ignorance-based mental conditioning to realize sadbhāva (true reality).

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

By admitting the mind’s delusion, the verse indirectly supports bhakti as a stabilizing discipline: devotion to the Lord steadies the citta, reduces avidyā-driven wandering, and orients consciousness toward truth—making the mind fit for higher realization.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga is taught directly; the practical takeaway is sādhana-oriented—mental discipline (citta-śuddhi) and discernment (viveka) are necessary foundations before technical learning (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) can serve spiritual realization.