Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

तस्मात्संसारदावाग्नितापार्तो द्विजसत्तम । अभ्यसेत्परमं ज्ञानं ज्ञानान्मोक्षमवान्पुयात् ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

tasmātsaṃsāradāvāgnitāpārto dvijasattama | abhyasetparamaṃ jñānaṃ jñānānmokṣamavānpuyāt || 39 ||

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! സംസാരരൂപ ദാവാഗ്നിയുടെ ദാഹത്തിൽ പീഡിതനായവൻ പരമജ്ഞാനം നിരന്തരം അഭ്യസിക്കട്ടെ; ജ്ഞാനത്തിലൂടെയേ മോക്ഷം ലഭിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक), अर्थे ‘अतः/तस्मात्’ (therefore/from that reason)

• संसार-दाव-अग्नि-ताप-आर्तः: afflicted by the heat of the saṃsāra-forest-fire
• संसार-दाव-अग्नि-ताप-आर्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + दाव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √अर्द्/आर्द् ‘पीडायाम्’/आर्त ‘afflicted’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘संसारस्य दावाग्निः’ इति, तस्य तापेन आर्तः (afflicted by the heat of the forest-fire of saṃsāra)

• द्विज-सत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-सत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘द्विजः सत्तमः’ (O best of the twice-born)

• अभ्यसेत्: should practice
• अभ्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अभि+अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person) एकवचन; ‘अभ्यसेत्’ = should practice/study

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• ज्ञानात्: from knowledge
• ज्ञानात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (source/cause)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (object of attaining)

• अवान्: having obtained
• अवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवत्/अवन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘possessed of/obtaining’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘मोक्षम् अवान्’ = having obtained liberation (predicate adjective)

• पुयात्: should become purified
• पुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पू (धातु, ‘पवने/शुद्धौ’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘पुयात्’ = should be purified / may become pure

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It frames saṁsāra as a consuming forest-fire and prescribes parama-jñāna (supreme spiritual knowledge) as the direct remedy, declaring jñāna to be the means that culminates in mokṣa.

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

This verse primarily teaches jñāna-yoga, but in the Narada Purana’s larger framework, such knowledge matures into single-pointed God-oriented understanding and dispassion—conditions that support steady Vishnu-bhakti even when the verse itself does not explicitly name devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Śikṣā) is taught here; the practical takeaway is disciplined abhyāsa—regular cultivation of liberating knowledge through study, reflection, and contemplation.