Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21

Śuka’s Origin, Mastery of Śāstra, and Testing at Janaka’s Court

Devanagari script

सा तु कृत्वा तदा व्यासं कामसंविग्नमानसम् । शुकीभूया महारम्या घृताची समुपागमत् ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

sā tu kṛtvā tadā vyāsaṃ kāmasaṃvignamānasam | śukībhūyā mahāramyā ghṛtācī samupāgamat || 21 ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൾ വ്യാസന്റെ മനസ്സിനെ കാമത്താൽ കലക്കിച്ചു; അത്യന്തം മനോഹരിയായ ഘൃതാചി ശുകീ (പെൺകിളി) രൂപം ധരിച്ചു അദ്ദേഹത്തോട് അടുത്തുവന്നു।

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/अन्वयार्थे (but/indeed)

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• व्यासम्: Vyāsa
• व्यासम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

• काम-संविग्न-मानसम्: whose mind was agitated by desire
• काम-संविग्न-मानसम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + संविग्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (compound) बहुपद; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• शुकी-भूय: having become a (female) parrot
• शुकी-भूय: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुकी (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) of भू with उपसर्ग/नामधातु-भाव (to become); ‘शुकी’ इति रूपं प्राप्य (having become a female parrot)

• महा-रम्या: very beautiful/charming
• महा-रम्या: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• घृताची: Ghṛtācī (the apsaras)
• घृताची: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृताची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• समुपागमत्: approached
• समुपागमत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

Speaker

Narada (narrating to the Sanatkumara brothers, in the Moksha-dharma discourse context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Characters & Entities

• Vyasa
• Ghritachi

FAQs

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

It highlights kāma (desire) as a powerful mental disturbance that can obstruct spiritual steadiness, even for great sages, underscoring the need for vigilance and inner restraint in mokṣa-dharma.

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

By showing how desire agitates the mind, the verse indirectly supports bhakti’s emphasis on single-pointed remembrance and purity of intention—devotion stabilizes the mind where sensory fascination disperses it.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse mainly teaches ethical-psychological discipline rather than a Vedāṅga; the practical takeaway is mind-governance (indriya-nigraha) and attention to mental states, which supports all scriptural study and sādhana.