Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

गङ्गामाहात्म्य — The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

पित्रा विहीना ये लोके जीवन्तोऽपि मृतोपमाः ॥ १८ ॥

Transliteration

pitrā vihīnā ye loke jīvanto'pi mṛtopamāḥ || 18 ||

Translation

អ្នកណាដែលនៅក្នុងលោកនេះ ខ្វះឪពុក ទោះនៅរស់ក៏ដូចជាមនុស្សស្លាប់ដែរ។

Word by Word

• पित्रा: by/with (their) father
• पित्रा: अपादान/हेतु (Cause/Separation sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विहीनाः: deprived (of)
• विहीनाः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विहीन (प्रातिपदिक; वि+ही-धातु से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• ये: those who
• ये: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जीवन्तः: living
• जीवन्तः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त; जीव्-धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• अपि: even
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, ‘even/also’)

• मृत-उपमाः: like the dead
• मृत-उपमाः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मृतस्य उपमा = मृतोपम), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Narada (teaching in a dharma-upadesha context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

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

It teaches that the father is a foundational support for dharma and saṁskāra; without that support, one’s life is described as spiritually diminished—alive outwardly yet lacking fullness and stability.

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

By stressing reverence for the father as part of righteous conduct (ācāra), it supports bhakti indirectly: devotion to God in the Purāṇic tradition is strengthened by living dharmically and honoring those who gave and guided one’s life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga is taught in this line; the practical takeaway is dharma-based conduct—respecting parental authority and maintaining household discipline that supports Vedic rites and saṁskāras.