Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 66

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

Devanagari script

ततश्च कालसूत्रेण भिद्यन्ते सप्त वत्सरान् । शोचन्तः स्वानिकर्माणि परद्रव्यापहारकाः ॥ ६६ ॥

Transliteration

tataśca kālasūtreṇa bhidyante sapta vatsarān | śocantaḥ svānikarmāṇi paradravyāpahārakāḥ || 66 ||

Translation

Kemudian, oleh siksaan bernama Kālasūtra, para pencuri yang merampas harta orang lain disayat dan ditusuk selama tujuh tahun, sambil meratapi perbuatan mereka sendiri.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

• kāla-sūtreṇa: by the Kālasūtra (torment/hell)
• kāla-sūtreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + sūtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुष: 'kālasya sūtram' (name of a hell/torment)

• bhidyante: are split/cleft
• bhidyante: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhid (भिद् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); Ātmanepada, passive sense (कर्मणि प्रयोग)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्याविशेषण), indeclinable-like in form; qualifying 'vatsarān'

• vatsarān: years
• vatsarān: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); duration

• śocantaḥ: lamenting
• śocantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śuc (शुच् धातु; शतृ-प्रत्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• svāni: their own
• svāni: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); possessive adjective qualifying 'karmāṇi'

• karmāṇi: deeds
• karmāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• para-dravya-apahārakāḥ: stealers of others' property
• para-dravya-apahārakāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + dravya (प्रातिपदिक) + apahāraka (अप-हृ धातु; ण्वुल्/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुष: 'parasya dravyasya apahārakāḥ'

Speaker

Narada (as narrator/teacher within the Purva Bhaga discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Kālasūtra

FAQs

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

It reinforces karmic moral causality: stealing (paradravyāpahāra) binds one to painful results, urging restraint, restitution, and dharmic living as prerequisites for spiritual progress.

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

By warning against adharma like theft, it clears the ethical ground for bhakti—devotion to Bhagavan is supported by purity of conduct, truthfulness, and non-injury to others’ livelihood.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily Dharma-śāstra style ethical instruction (supporting smārta conduct); it is not a technical Vedanga passage like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa, but it practically teaches asteya (non-stealing) as a daily discipline.