Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 45

Yamapatha (The Road of Yama), Dāna-Phala, and the Imperishable Fruition of Karma

Devanagari script

किमर्थमर्जितं पापं युष्माभिरविवेकिभिः । कामक्तोधादिदृष्टेन सगर्वेण तु चेतसा ॥ ४५ ॥

Transliteration

kimarthamarjitaṃ pāpaṃ yuṣmābhiravivekibhiḥ | kāmaktodhādidṛṣṭena sagarveṇa tu cetasā || 45 ||

Translation

हे अविवेकी जनांनो! कामाने आंधळे व गर्वाने फुगलेल्या चित्ताने तुम्ही पाप कशासाठी कमावले?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative/प्रश्नार्थक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• अर्थम्: purpose, reason
• अर्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अर्जितम्: acquired, accumulated
• अर्जितम्: कर्मविशेषण (Predicate qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with ‘पापम्’

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• युष्माभिः: by you (pl.)
• युष्माभिः: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, बहुवचन, तृतीया (3rd/करण)

• अविवेकिभिः: by the undiscriminating
• अविवेकिभिः: कर्तृविशेषण (Qualifier of agent/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविवेकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying ‘युष्माभिः’

• काम: desire
• काम: समासाङ्ग (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; first member in compound

• क्त: (Ppp suffix marker)
• क्त: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रत्यय (participial suffix marker); used in analysis of compound formation

• उद: up/out (prefix)
• उद: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb) as compound element

• आदि: etc., and so on
• आदि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘etc., and the like’ as compound element

• दृष्टेन: by (a mind) seeing/considering (as) desire etc.
• दृष्टेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; in compound ‘काम-क्त-उद-आदि-दृष्टेन’ = ‘seen/considered as arising from desire etc.’

• सगर्वेण: with pride
• सगर्वेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + गर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘स-गर्व’ = ‘with pride’ qualifying ‘चेतसा’

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: सम्बन्धबोधक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle (emphasis/contrast)

• चेतसा: by the mind
• चेतसा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (one of the Sanaka brothers), admonishing the addressed listeners

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

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

It warns that sin arises when discrimination (viveka) is lost—especially when desire blinds the mind and pride hardens it—so spiritual progress requires humility and clear discernment.

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

Bhakti depends on a purified inner instrument (citta-śuddhi); this verse highlights two major obstacles—kāma and garva—implying that devotion to the Lord must be supported by self-control and humility.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical takeaway is ethical discipline rather than a technical Vedanga: cultivate viveka (right judgment) and restrain kāma to prevent papa—foundational preparation for any ritual (kalpa) or scriptural study (vyākaraṇa, nirukta).