Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
अपि वर्षसहस्त्रेण नाहं निगदितुं क्षमः । एतेषु यस्य यत्प्राप्तं पापिनः क्षितिरक्षक ॥ २१ ॥
api varṣasahastreṇa nāhaṃ nigadituṃ kṣamaḥ | eteṣu yasya yatprāptaṃ pāpinaḥ kṣitirakṣaka || 21 ||
हजार वर्षांतही मी याचे पूर्ण वर्णन करू शकत नाही. हे क्षितिरक्षक, या पाप्यांमध्ये ज्याला जे फळ प्राप्त झाले आहे, तेच त्याला मिळते।
A sage/narrator addressing a king (kṣitirakṣaka)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It emphasizes the vast, intricate law of karma: the outcomes of sin are innumerable and individualized, and no single narration can exhaustively list how pāpa bears fruit for different beings.
By highlighting the fearful complexity of pāpa-phala, it implicitly points to the need for higher refuge—classically, devotion to Bhagavān and dhārmic living—as the reliable means to transcend karmic entanglement.
The verse chiefly teaches karma-phala discernment rather than a specific Vedāṅga; practically, it supports Dharma-śāstra style ethical reasoning used by kings and householders to evaluate actions and consequences.