Shloka 1

The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power

Devanagari script

मांधातोवाच । भगवन्सम्यगाख्यातं सर्वज्ञेन कृपालुना । मोहिनीचरितं पुण्यं महापातकनाशनम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

māṃdhātovāca | bhagavansamyagākhyātaṃ sarvajñena kṛpālunā | mohinīcaritaṃ puṇyaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam || 1 ||

Translation

ಮಾಂಧಾತನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹೇ ಭಗವನ್! ಸರ್ವಜ್ಞನೂ ಕೃಪಾಳುವೂ ಆದ ನೀನು, ಮಹಾಪಾತಕನಾಶಕವಾದ ಮೋಹಿನಿಯ ಪುಣ್ಯಚರಿತ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ಸಮ್ಯಕವಾಗಿ ವರ್ಣಿಸಿದ್ದೀ ॥ ೧ ॥

Word by Word

• māṃdhātā: Māṃdhātā
• māṃdhātā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃdhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; speaker name

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्/परोक्षभूत), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• bhagavan: O Lord; O venerable one
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; address

• samyak: properly; correctly
• samyak: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ākhyātam: told; narrated
• ākhyātam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√khyā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्: क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; used predicatively ‘has been told’

• sarvajñena: by the omniscient one
• sarvajñena: Karaṇa (करण/instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; sarva+jña (one who knows all)

• kṛpālunā: by the compassionate (one)
• kṛpālunā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛpālu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; qualifying sarvajñena

• mohinīcaritam: the story of Mohinī
• mohinīcaritam: Karma (कर्म/object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mohinī (प्रातिपदिक) + carita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘Mohinī’s deed/story’

• puṇyam: meritorious; holy
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; qualifying mohinīcaritam

• mahāpātakanāśanam: destroying great sins
• mahāpātakanāśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘destroyer of great sins’ qualifying mohinīcaritam

Speaker

Māṃdhātā

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Māṃdhātā
• Mohinī

FAQs

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

It praises Mohinī-carita as a purifying Purāṇic narrative whose hearing/recitation is said to destroy even mahāpātakas, highlighting the purificatory power of sacred kathā.

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

By honoring the compassionate, all-knowing teacher and glorifying a divine līlā (Mohinī), the verse models bhakti through śravaṇa (devotional listening) and reverent acknowledgment of the Lord’s sacred deeds.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is the Purāṇic discipline of śravaṇa/paṭhana (listening/recitation) as a recognized means of inner purification and dhārmic living.