Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 51

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

शमादिगुणसंपन्नो मुमुक्षुर्ज्ञानमभ्यसेत् । शमादिगुणहीनस्य ज्ञानं नैव च सिध्यति ॥ ५१ ॥

Transliteration

śamādiguṇasaṃpanno mumukṣurjñānamabhyaset | śamādiguṇahīnasya jñānaṃ naiva ca sidhyati || 51 ||

Translation

ശമാദി ഗുണങ്ങളാൽ സമ്പന്നനായ മുമുക്ഷു ജ്ഞാനാഭ്യാസം ചെയ്യണം; ആ ഗുണങ്ങൾ ഇല്ലാത്തവന് ജ്ഞാനം സിദ്ധിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• शमादिगुणसंपन्नः: endowed with virtues beginning with calmness
• शमादिगुणसंपन्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शम-आदि + गुण + संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: (1) शमादि (शमः+आदि) कर्मधारय/द्वन्द्व-प्राय समूहवाचक, (2) शमादिगुण (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शमादीनां गुणाः), (3) शमादिगुणसंपन्न (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: शमादिगुणैः संपन्नः)

• मुमुक्षुः: a seeker of liberation
• मुमुक्षुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुमुक्षु (कृदन्त, सन्-अन्त/इच्छार्थक)
• Form: इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (desiderative-based noun); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

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

• शमादिगुणहीनस्य: of one devoid of virtues like calmness
• शमादिगुणहीनस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शम-आदि + गुण + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः: शमादिगुण (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + हीन (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: शमादिगुणैः हीनः)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सिध्यति: is accomplished/succeeds
• सिध्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a moksha-oriented instruction sequence)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Secondary Rasa: vira (heroic)

FAQs

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

It states that liberating knowledge (jñāna) becomes fruitful only when the seeker is qualified by inner virtues like śama (mental tranquility) and allied disciplines; without these, study alone does not mature into realization.

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

While focused on jñāna, it supports bhakti indirectly: steadiness, self-restraint, and purity of mind are the same inner qualifications that make devotion stable and one-pointed, preventing bhakti from becoming merely emotional or inconsistent.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is sādhanā-qualification—cultivating śama and related virtues so that scriptural learning and instruction can yield realized knowledge.