Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

युष्माकमेव तत्पापं प्राप्तं किं दुःखकारणम् । यथा कृतानि पापानि युष्माभिः सुबहूनि वै ॥ ४९ ॥

Transliteration

yuṣmākameva tatpāpaṃ prāptaṃ kiṃ duḥkhakāraṇam | yathā kṛtāni pāpāni yuṣmābhiḥ subahūni vai || 49 ||

Translation

ते पाप तुमच्यावरच आले आहे; दुःखाचे दुसरे कारण काय असू शकते? कारण तुम्ही खरोखरच फार पापे केली आहेत.

Word by Word

• युष्माकम्: of you (pl.)
• युष्माकम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: सम्बन्धबोधक (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies ‘पापम्’

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

• प्राप्तम्: has come (to you), has been obtained
• प्राप्तम्: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate with ‘पापम्’

• किम्: what
• किम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative/प्रश्नार्थक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; interrogative

• दुःख: sorrow
• दुःख: समासाङ्ग (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; compound member

• कारणम्: cause of suffering
• कारणम्: प्रश्नविषय (Interrogated predicate/प्रश्नविषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दुःख-कारणम्’ = ‘cause of sorrow’

• यथा: as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (Comparison/Explanatory link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘as/just as’ introducing explanation

• कृतानि: done, committed
• कृतानि: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; qualifies ‘पापानि’

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

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

• सु: very
• सु: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; intensifying prefix ‘very’ (compound member)

• बहूनि: very many
• बहूनि: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘सु-बहूनि’ = ‘very many’ qualifying ‘पापानि’

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्धबोधक (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle

Speaker

Sanatkumara (one of the Kumara brothers), addressing Narada’s query in the dialogue

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 asserts a core Purāṇic principle: suffering (duḥkha) is primarily the ripened result of one’s own sinful actions (pāpa), emphasizing personal responsibility and karmic causality.

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

By identifying pāpa as the root of misery, it implicitly prepares the ground for bhakti as a purifying remedy—devotion supported by ethical conduct reduces sin and restores inner clarity for spiritual progress.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is dharmic self-audit—recognizing harmful actions and correcting conduct to prevent karmic suffering.