Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां हेतुभूतं महाफलम् । अपूर्वपुण्यफलदं श्रृणुध्वं सुसमाहिताः ॥ ३८ ॥

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāṃ hetubhūtaṃ mahāphalam | apūrvapuṇyaphaladaṃ śrṛṇudhvaṃ susamāhitāḥ || 38 ||

Translation

पूर्ण एकाग्र होकर सुनिए—यह धर्म, अर्थ, काम और मोक्ष का हेतु है; यह महान फल देने वाला है और अपूर्व पुण्य का फल प्रदान करता है।

Word by Word

• धर्म-अर्थ-काम-मोक्षाणाम्: of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa
• धर्म-अर्थ-काम-मोक्षाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)

• हेतु-भूतम्: having become the cause (of them)
• हेतु-भूतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त; भू धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'हेतुरूपेण भूतम्'

• महा-फलम्: great-fruited / yielding great results
• महा-फलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'महच्च तत् फलम्'

• अपूर्व-पुण्य-फलदम्: giver of unprecedented meritorious fruit
• अपूर्व-पुण्य-फलदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + फलद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'अपूर्वस्य पुण्यस्य फलदम्'

• शृणुध्वम्: listen (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सु-समाहिताः: well attentive / well composed
• सु-समाहिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + समाहित (कृदन्त; सम्+आ+धा धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'सुष्ठु समाहिताः' (well-collected/attentive)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) / primary discourse-setting voice introducing the teaching

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It frames the upcoming discourse as a complete puruṣārtha-sādhana: a single sacred teaching that can ground righteous living, support worldly welfare, refine desire, and culminate in liberation.

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

By emphasizing śravaṇa (devout listening) with a collected mind, it highlights a core bhakti-method: attentive hearing of sacred narration as a direct producer of puṇya and inner transformation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical discipline stressed is not a technical vedāṅga like vyākaraṇa or jyotiṣa, but the upāsanā-method of śravaṇa with samādhāna (mental focus), which is treated as essential for receiving scriptural meaning and its results.