Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 90

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

जपः स्वाध्याय उदितो योगसाधनमुत्तमम् । स्वाध्यायं यस्त्यजेन्मूढस्तस्य योगो न सिध्यति ॥ ९० ॥

Transliteration

japaḥ svādhyāya udito yogasādhanamuttamam | svādhyāyaṃ yastyajenmūḍhastasya yogo na sidhyati || 90 ||

Translation

ジャパ（真言誦持）とスヴァーディヤーヤ（聖典の自誦・学習）は、ヨーガ成就の最上の手段と説かれる。スヴァーディヤーヤを捨てる迷妄の者には、ヨーガは成就しない。

Word by Word

• japaḥ: recitation (japa)
• japaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• svādhyāyaḥ: self-study (svādhyāya)
• svādhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uditaḥ: is declared (as)
• uditaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative verbal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: udita (कृदन्त; past passive participle from √ud-i ‘to arise/appear’, used predicatively)
• Form: PPP (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with japaḥ/svādhyāyaḥ (understood as ‘is proclaimed/has arisen as’)

• yoga-sādhanam: a means to yoga
• yoga-sādhanam: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga + sādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (yogasya sādhanam)

• uttamam: supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with yoga-sādhanam

• svādhyāyam: self-study
• svādhyāyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• tyajet: should abandon
• tyajet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/Optative), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• mūḍhaḥ: a fool
• mūḍhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; used appositionally to yaḥ

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• yogaḥ: yoga
• yogaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle (निषेध)

• sidhyati: is accomplished; succeeds
• sidhyati: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sidh (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/Present), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Ātmanepada/Parasmaipada usage varies; here standard present ‘is accomplished’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-oriented discourse of Purva Bhaga)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It elevates two daily disciplines—japa (mantra repetition) and svādhyāya (scriptural study/recitation)—as the most effective supports for Yoga, and warns that abandoning svādhyāya undermines spiritual attainment.

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

Japa sustains remembrance of the Lord through the Name/mantra, while svādhyāya anchors devotion in śāstra; together they keep bhakti steady and prevent practice from becoming merely mechanical or distracted.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Svādhyāya implies disciplined recitation and study aligned with śāstra—supported by Vedāṅga tools like Śikṣā (correct pronunciation) and Vyākaraṇa (grammar) so mantra and text are preserved and practiced accurately.