Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 49

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

माषप्रमाणे हेम्नस्तु प्रायश्चित्तं निगद्यते । गोमूत्रपक्वयवभुग्वर्षेणैकेन शुद्ध्यति ॥ ४९ ॥

Transliteration

māṣapramāṇe hemnastu prāyaścittaṃ nigadyate | gomūtrapakvayavabhugvarṣeṇaikena śuddhyati || 49 ||

Translation

മാഷപ്രമാണം സ്വർണം മോഷ്ടിച്ചാൽ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം വിധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ഗോമൂത്രത്തിൽ പാകം ചെയ്ത യവം ഭക്ഷിച്ച് ഒരു വർഷം വസിച്ചാൽ ശുദ്ധി ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• माष-प्रमाणे: in the measure of a māṣa (bean-weight)
• माष-प्रमाणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माष (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) — ‘माषस्य प्रमाणम्’ → ‘माषप्रमाणम्’

• हेम्नः: of gold
• हेम्नः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

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

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• निगद्यते: is stated/declared
• निगद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + गद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• गो-मूत्र-पक्व-यव-भुक्: one who eats barley cooked in cow’s urine
• गो-मूत्र-पक्व-यव-भुक्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्व (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + यव (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज्→भुक् (कृदन्त, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः — ‘गोमूत्रेण पक्वाः यवाः, तान् भुङ्क्ते’ (गोमूत्रपक्वयवभुक् = one who eats barley cooked in cow’s urine)

• वर्षेण: by (a period of) a year
• वर्षेण: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• एकेन: one (single)
• एकेन: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) ‘वर्षेण’

• शुद्ध्यति: becomes purified
• शुद्ध्यति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sanatkumāra (in instruction to Nārada on prāyaścitta norms)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It frames expiation (prāyaścitta) as a disciplined, time-bound purification that restores dharmic order after a specific wrongdoing (misappropriating gold).

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes ethical purity and self-restraint as supportive foundations for sustained bhakti practice, even though the verse itself focuses on ritual expiation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa/Ācāra (ritual procedure and conduct): it specifies a concrete prāyaścitta regimen—diet, substance, and duration—for a defined offense.