Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3

Yajñamālī–Sumālī Upākhyāna: Merit-Transfer through Temple Plastering (Lepa) and the Redemption of a Sinner

Devanagari script

सुमाली च धनं सर्वं व्यसनाभिरकतः सदा । अपादाना दिभिश्चैव नाशयामास भो द्विज ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

sumālī ca dhanaṃ sarvaṃ vyasanābhirakataḥ sadā | apādānā dibhiścaiva nāśayāmāsa bho dvija || 3 ||

Translation

Adapun Sumālī, yang senantiasa terikat pada kebiasaan buruk, wahai yang dua kali lahir, menghamburkan seluruh hartanya melalui pencurian dan perbuatan tercela lainnya.

Word by Word

• sumālī: Sumālī
• sumālī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sumālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• dhanam: wealth
• dhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• vyasanābhirataḥ: addicted to vices
• vyasanābhirataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyasana (प्रातिपदिक) + abhirata (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: vyasaneṣu abhirataḥ (‘addicted to vices/misfortunes’)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (काल/temporal adverb)

• apādānādibhiḥ: by various means (removal etc.)
• apādānādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apādāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: apādāna-ādi (‘removal and the like’, i.e., various means/ways)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samucchaya-avyaya (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (निपात/emphatic particle)

• nāśayāmāsa: caused to be destroyed, squandered
• nāśayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (धातु)
• Form: Causative (णिच्/causative stem nāśaya-), Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/Perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: Sambodhana-nipāta (सम्बोधन-निपात/vocative particle)

• dvija: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• dvija: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Characters & Entities

• Sumali

FAQs

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

It warns that attachment to vyasana (destructive addictions) leads to adharma like theft and ultimately ruins one’s artha (wealth) and inner purity, obstructing spiritual progress.

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

By showing the opposite of bhakti-living: when the mind is controlled by vices, it cannot steadily remember or serve Bhagavan; dharmic restraint is presented as a necessary foundation for sincere Vishnu-bhakti.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical dharmic takeaway aligned with Smriti-ethics: guarding conduct (sadachara) and livelihood from apādāna (theft) and similar acts—an applied discipline supporting scriptural study and practice.