Shloka 3

The Greatness of the Month of Māgha

Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna

Devanagari script

कर्मणा केन ते मुक्तिर्भवेत्कुत्सितयोनितः । तन्मे वद विशालांगे त्वां दृष्ट्वा दुःखिता ह्यहम् ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

karmaṇā kena te muktirbhavetkutsitayonitaḥ | tanme vada viśālāṃge tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā duḥkhitā hyaham || 3 ||

Translation

ಯಾವ ಕರ್ಮದಿಂದ ನೀನು ಈ ಕುತ್ತ್ಸಿತ ಯೋನಿಯಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುವೆ? ಓ ವಿಶಾಲಾಂಗಿಯೇ, ಅದನ್ನು ನನಗೆ ಹೇಳು; ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ನಾನು ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ದುಃಖಿತನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

Word by Word

• कर्मणा: by what deed
• कर्मणा: करण (Karaṇa/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• केन: by which
• केन: करण (Interrogative instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ते: your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: might be / could occur
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• कुत्सितयोनितः: from the despicable womb/birth
• कुत्सितयोनितः: अपादान (Apādāna/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुत्सित-योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kutsitā yoniḥ)

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मे: to me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/To)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वद: tell
• वद: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• विशालाङ्गे: O broad-limbed one
• विशालाङ्गे: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (विशालम् अङ्गम् यस्याः/यस्य)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’

• दुःखिता: distressed
• दुःखिता: कर्तृसम्बन्धी विशेषण (Predicate of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेतौ/निश्चये (for emphasis/indeed)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified interlocutor (a compassionate questioner addressing the one in a degraded birth)

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 frames a core Purāṇic concern: even after falling into a “degraded” birth due to past karma, liberation remains possible through the right remedial action (karma) guided by dharma—often expressed in the Uttara-bhāga through tīrtha, vrata, and devotion.

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

Though the verse asks generally about “which karma,” in Narada Purana such questions commonly resolve into karma offered to Bhagavān—especially Vishnu-bhakti—where acts like vows, worship, japa, and pilgrimage become liberating when performed with devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to karma as a technical category, aligning with dharma-śāstra style reasoning; practically, it implies correct procedure (kalpa) and correct usage of mantra/recitation (śikṣā, vyākaraṇa) in prescribed rites of expiation (prāyaścitta) and vrata observance.