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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 102

Jīva–Ātman Inquiry; Kṣetrajña Doctrine; Karma-based Varṇa; Four Āśramas and Sannyāsa Discipline

Devanagari script

भरद्वाज उवाच । किं कस्य धर्मचरणं किं वा धर्मस्य लक्षणम् । धर्मः कतिविधो वापि तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥ १०२ ॥

Transliteration

bharadvāja uvāca | kiṃ kasya dharmacaraṇaṃ kiṃ vā dharmasya lakṣaṇam | dharmaḥ katividho vāpi tadbhavānvaktumarhati || 102 ||

Translation

Bharadvāja berkata: “Apakah yang disebut amalan dharma, dan untuk siapa ia ditetapkan? Apakah tanda pengenal dharma? Dan dharma terbahagi kepada berapa jenis? Mohon tuan menjelaskannya kepadaku.”

Word by Word
भरद्वाजःBharadvāja
भरद्वाजः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभरद्वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन — proper noun
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (परोक्ष/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘said’
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — interrogative ‘what?’
कस्यof whom
कस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन — interrogative ‘of whom/whose?’
धर्मचरणम्practice of dharma
धर्मचरणम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म + चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘practice of dharma’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य चरणम्)
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘what?’
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प/particle — ‘or’
धर्मस्यof dharma
धर्मस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of dharma’
लक्षणम्definition/characteristic
लक्षणम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootलक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘mark/definition’
धर्मःdharma
धर्मः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘dharma’
कतिविधःof how many kinds
कतिविधः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकति + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — interrogative adjective ‘of how many kinds?’ (कति-तत्पुरुष) qualifying ‘धर्मः’
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प/particle — ‘or’
अपिalso
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अवधारण निपात — ‘also/even’
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘that’ (object of ‘tell’)
भवान्you (sir)
भवान्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन — honorific ‘you’
वक्तुम्to tell
वक्तुम्:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय/Infinitive — ‘to speak/tell’
अर्हतिis worthy/should
अर्हति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअर्ह् (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘is fit/ought’
Speaker

Bharadvaja

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities
B
Bharadvaja
D
Dharma

FAQs

This verse establishes a foundational Moksha-Dharma inquiry: before liberation is pursued, one must know what dharma is, how it is recognized (lakṣaṇa), who it applies to, and how it is classified—so practice becomes precise rather than merely customary.

Indirectly, it prepares the ground for bhakti by asking for dharma’s defining features and scope; in the Narada Purana’s Moksha-Dharma frame, right understanding of dharma supports purified conduct and steadiness of mind, which then matures into devotion-oriented living.

The verse highlights the method of śāstric inquiry—seeking lakṣaṇa (defining criteria) and bheda (classification). This mirrors the analytical approach used across Vedāṅga disciplines (especially Vyākaraṇa and Mīmāṁsā) to define terms and determine correct application in practice.

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