Shloka 53

Pātivratya-kathana

The Narrative of the Pativrata

Devanagari script

सा पत्नी नरकं याति यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश । सापत्नभावं या कुर्याद्भर्तृस्नेहेष्टया सह ॥ ५३ ॥

Transliteration

sā patnī narakaṃ yāti yāvadiṃdrāścaturdaśa | sāpatnabhāvaṃ yā kuryādbhartṛsneheṣṭayā saha || 53 ||

Translation

ഭർത്താവിന്റെ സ്നേഹത്തിൽ പ്രിയയായ സ്ത്രീയോടൊപ്പം സാപത്നഭാവം (സൗതുഭാവം) വളർത്തുന്ന ഭാര്യ, പതിനാലു ഇന്ദ്രന്മാരുടെ കാലം വരെ നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• patnī: wife
• patnī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• narakam: to hell
• narakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (destination as object)

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• yāvat: as long as/until
• yāvat: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (until/as long as)

• indrāḥ: Indras (periods of Indra)
• indrāḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणे ‘इन्द्र’ (each Indra-period)

• caturdaśa: fourteen
• caturdaśa: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे ‘fourteen’ (numeral qualifying indrāḥ)

• sāpatnabhāvam: co-wife rivalry/hostility
• sāpatnabhāvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāpatnabhāva (प्रातिपदिक; sa-patnī + bhāva)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक संज्ञा; कर्म

• yā: she who
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• kuryāt: should do/make
• kuryāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bhartṛsneheṣṭayā: with the husband’s beloved (favored by his affection)
• bhartṛsneheṣṭayā: Sahakāraka (सह/साकं)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ-sneha-iṣṭā (प्रातिपदिक; bhartṛ + sneha + iṣṭā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सहार्थे करण/सहयोग (with)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

Speaker

Narada (instructional voice within the Uttara-Bhaga dharma narrative)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Naraka

FAQs

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

It warns that knowingly participating in or endorsing a dharmically improper marital arrangement (co-wifehood/rivalry around a husband’s partiality) is treated as serious adharma, bringing long-lasting negative karmic results described as naraka.

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

Bhakti in the Narada Purana is not separated from conduct: purity of relationships, restraint, and adherence to dharma are presented as supportive foundations for stable devotion and sattvic life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A time-measure is conveyed through the puranic-vedic cosmological idiom—“fourteen Indras” (successive Indras across manvantaras)—used to emphasize the gravity and duration of karmic consequence rather than ritual technique.