Shloka 1

Śāpaprāpti (Receiving a Curse) — Mohinī Narrative

Devanagari script

यम उवाच । विबुधेश जगन्नाथ चराचरगुरो प्रभो । मोहिनी निष्फला जाता वंध्या स्त्री जनने यथा ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

yama uvāca | vibudheśa jagannātha carācaraguro prabho | mohinī niṣphalā jātā vaṃdhyā strī janane yathā || 1 ||

Translation

ヤマは言った。「ああ、神々の主よ、宇宙の主宰よ、動くものと動かぬものすべての至高の師よ――この迷幻はもはや実りなく、子を産めぬ女が出産に臨むがごとく空しくなった。」

Word by Word

• yamaḥ: Yama
• yamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• vibudha-īśa: O lord of the gods
• vibudha-īśa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibudha (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vibudhānām īśaḥ)

• jagat-nātha: O lord of the world
• jagat-nātha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jagataḥ nāthaḥ)

• cara-acara-guro: O teacher of the moving and unmoving
• cara-acara-guro: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cara (प्रातिपदिक) + acara (प्रातिपदिक) + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (cara+acara) + षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (carācarayoḥ guruḥ)

• prabho: O lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mohinī: Mohinī
• mohinī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mohinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• niṣphalā: fruitless
• niṣphalā: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣphala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with mohinī

• jātā: has become
• jātā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); used predicatively

• vandhyā: barren
• vandhyā: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vandhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective (upamāna-side)

• strī: a woman
• strī: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• janane: in childbirth / in begetting
• janane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• yathā: as / like
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; comparative particle (उपमा-अव्यय)

Speaker

Yama

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Jagannatha (Vishnu)
• Mohini

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the supremacy of the Jagannātha (Vishnu) principle: even powerful delusion (Mohinī/Māyā) can become ineffective before the Lord who governs all beings and all dharma.

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

By addressing the Lord as the universal master and guru, the verse implies that surrender and devotion to Vishnu transcends deceptive forces; Bhakti is presented as a refuge where Māyā fails to produce its intended result.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught in this line; the main takeaway is doctrinal—recognizing Māyā (delusion) as contingent and ultimately subordinate to the Lord who upholds cosmic order (dharma).