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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19

The Greatness of the Gaṅgā (Gaṅgā-māhātmya): Saudāsa/Kalmāṣapāda’s Curse and Release

समाप्य यज्ञनिष्क्रांतो वशिष्टः स्नातकोऽपि च । अत्रान्तरे राक्षसोऽसौ नृपहिम्सितभार्यकः । कर्तुं प्रतिक्रियां राज्ञे समायातोरुषान्वितः ॥ १९ ॥

samāpya yajñaniṣkrāṃto vaśiṣṭaḥ snātako'pi ca | atrāntare rākṣaso'sau nṛpahimsitabhāryakaḥ | kartuṃ pratikriyāṃ rājñe samāyātoruṣānvitaḥ || 19 ||

祭儀を終えると、ヴァシシュタはスナータカ(snātaka)の浄めの沐浴も済ませて立ち去った。その間に、王によって妻を害されたあのラークシャサが、怒りに燃えて王への報復のために現れた。

समाप्यhaving finished
समाप्य:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आप् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having completed’
यज्ञ-निष्क्रान्तःhaving come out from the sacrifice
यज्ञ-निष्क्रान्तः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootयज्ञ + निष्क्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक; निष्-क्रम् धातुज)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञात् निष्क्रान्तः)
वशिष्टःVasiṣṭha
वशिष्टः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवशिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
स्नातकःa bath-finished (one who has performed the concluding bath)
स्नातकः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्नातक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अपिalso/even
अपि:
Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (particle)
and
:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
अत्र-अन्तरेin the meantime
अत्र-अन्तरे:
Kāla/Avadhāraṇa (काल/अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभावसमास; कालवाचक/अवसरवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘in the meantime’)
राक्षसःa demon
राक्षसः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootराक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
असौthat (one)
असौ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअसद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
नृप-हिंसित-भार्यकःwhose wife was harmed by the king
नृप-हिंसित-भार्यकः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootनृप + हिंसित + भार्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (नृपेण हिंसिता भार्या यस्य)
कर्तुम्to do
कर्तुम्:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to do’
प्रतिक्रियाम्retaliation/counter-action
प्रतिक्रियाम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रतिक्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
राज्ञेfor/to the king
राज्ञे:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dative), एकवचन
समायातःhaving come/arrived
समायातः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-या (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
उरुषा-अन्वितःaccompanied with strength (lit. with strong thighs)
उरुषा-अन्वितः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootउरुषा (उरु/उरुष्-प्रातिपदिक; ‘thigh/strong’) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (उरुषा सह/उरुषा युक्तः)

Suta (narrating the Purana’s account)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

V
Vasiṣṭha
R
Rākṣasa
K
King (nṛpa/rājā)

FAQs

It contrasts ritual completion (yajña and snātaka purity) with moral failure in kingship: dharma is not upheld by rites alone, and harmful acts trigger inevitable karmic reactions through conflict and retaliation.

Indirectly, it sets the ethical ground for bhakti: devotion in the Purāṇic vision rests on ahiṃsā, self-restraint, and dharmic conduct; without these, even sacred rites cannot prevent suffering and turmoil.

Ritual discipline is implied through the yajña’s completion and the snātaka observance—pointing to Kalpa (ritual procedure) and the idea of post-ritual purity and conduct expected after a sacrifice.