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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

Saṃsāra-duḥkha: Karmic Descent, Garbhavāsa, Life’s Anxieties, Death, and the Call to Jñāna-Bhakti

Devanagari script

एवं बालत्वमापन्नो जंतुस्तत्रापि स्वमलमूत्रलित्पदेह आध्यात्मिकादिपीड्यमानोऽपि वक्तुमशक्तक्षुत्तृषापीडितो रुदिते सति स्तनादिकं देयमिति मन्वानाः प्रयतन्ते ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

evaṃ bālatvamāpanno jaṃtustatrāpi svamalamūtralitpadeha ādhyātmikādipīḍyamāno'pi vaktumaśaktakṣuttṛṣāpīḍito rudite sati stanādikaṃ deyamiti manvānāḥ prayatante || 24 ||

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ബാല്യാവസ്ഥയെ പ്രാപിച്ച ജീവി സ്വന്തം മലമൂത്രം പുരണ്ട ദേഹത്തോടെയിരിക്കുന്നു. ആധ്യാത്മികാദി പീഡകളാൽ വലയുന്നുവെങ്കിലും സംസാരിക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല. വിശപ്പും ദാഹവും കൊണ്ട് പീഡിതനായി കരയും; അപ്പോൾ പരിചാരകർ “പാൽ മുതലായവ നൽകണം” എന്നു കരുതി അവനെ പോഷിപ്പിക്കാനും ശമിപ്പിക്കാനും ശ്രമിക്കുന്നു॥२४॥

Word by Word
एवम्thus
एवम्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)
बालत्वम्childhood
बालत्वम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootबालत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म) एकवचन (Accusative singular)
आपन्नःhaving attained
आपन्नः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootआपद् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘आपन्नः’ = प्राप्तः/गतः (having attained)
जन्तुःthe creature/being
जन्तुः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootजन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)
तत्रthere/in that state
तत्र:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)
अपिalso/even
अपि:
Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: also/even)
स्व-मल-मूत्र-लिट्-प-देहः(a being) whose body/feet are smeared with its own filth and urine
स्व-मल-मूत्र-लिट्-प-देहः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लिट्/लित् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘लित’ = लिप्त/मलिन) + प (प्रातिपदिक; ‘प’ = पाद/पद- ‘feet/steps’ as in ‘पदेह’) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/बहुपद-तत्पुरुष समासः (determinative: ‘own-impurity-urine-smeared-foot-body’); ‘पदेह’ = पाद-देह/पद-देह (body with feet)
आध्यात्मिक-आदि-पीड्यमानःbeing afflicted by spiritual etc. (pains)
आध्यात्मिक-आदि-पीड्यमानः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootआध्यात्मिक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + पीड् (धातु) → पीड्यमान (कृदन्त, शानच्)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle, शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘आध्यात्मिकादि’ = आध्यात्मिक-आधिभौतिक-आधिदैविकादि- (etc.)
अपिeven though
अपि:
Particle (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (even/though)
वक्तुम्to speak
वक्तुम्:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु) → वक्तुम् (कृदन्त, तुमुन्)
Formतुमुनन्त (infinitive); ‘वक्तुम्’ = to speak
अशक्तःunable
अशक्तः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअ-शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण (unable)
क्षुत्-तृषा-पीडितःafflicted by hunger and thirst
क्षुत्-तृषा-पीडितः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तृषा (प्रातिपदिक) + पीड् (धातु) → पीडित (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘क्षुत्-तृषा’ इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (hunger and thirst) + तत्पुरुष (‘by hunger-and-thirst afflicted’)
रुदितेwhen (he) has cried
रुदिते:
Sati-saptamī (सति-सप्तमी)
TypeVerb
Rootरुद् (धातु) → रुदित (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सप्तमी एकवचन नपुंसक/भावे (locative absolute component: ‘when crying has occurred’)
सतिwhen/while (it is so)
सति:
Sati-saptamī (सति-सप्तमी)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअस् (धातु) → सत् (कृदन्त)
Formसति-सप्तमीयोगे ‘सति’ (locative absolute marker); सप्तमी एकवचन (in the condition of being)
स्तन-आदिकम्the breast etc. (milk/feeding)
स्तन-आदिकम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्तन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘स्तनादि’ = स्तन-प्रभृति (breast etc.)
देयम्to be given/should be given
देयम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootदा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त, यत्)
Formयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (agreeing with स्तनादिकम्)
इतिthus
इति:
Quotation marker (इति)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)
मन्वानाःthinking/considering
मन्वानाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootमन् (धातु) → मन्वान (कृदन्त, शानच्)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, परस्मैपदी/आत्मनेपदी प्रयोगानुसार); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘thinking/considering’
प्रयतन्तेthey strive
प्रयतन्ते:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootयत् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
Formलट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (they strive/endeavour)
Speaker

Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada in dialogue on saṁsāra and embodied suffering)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

It highlights the helplessness and inherent suffering of embodied existence even from infancy—unable to speak, driven by hunger and thirst—encouraging dispassion (vairāgya) and a turn toward liberation-oriented life.

While not naming bhakti directly, it frames saṁsāra as intrinsically painful and dependent, which supports the Purāṇic conclusion that taking refuge in Bhagavān (especially Viṣṇu-bhakti, as emphasized elsewhere in the Nārada Purāṇa) is the stable remedy beyond bodily conditions.

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; it is primarily a dharma–mokṣa reflection on the realities of birth and bodily limitation.

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