Shloka 52

The Account of Mohinī

Mohinī-upākhyāna

Devanagari script

तलानि चापि दैत्याद्यैराकाशः पक्षिपूर्वकैः । नाकः सुकृतिभिर्जीवैर्नरकाः पापकर्मभिः ॥ ५२ ॥

Transliteration

talāni cāpi daityādyairākāśaḥ pakṣipūrvakaiḥ | nākaḥ sukṛtibhirjīvairnarakāḥ pāpakarmabhiḥ || 52 ||

Translation

Alam Talā (wilayah bawah) didiami oleh Daitya dan seumpamanya; langit pula dipenuhi makhluk bersayap seperti burung. Nāka (syurga) dicapai oleh jiwa yang berbuat kebajikan, sedangkan neraka dicapai oleh mereka yang beramal dosa.

Word by Word

• तलानि: the nether regions (talas)
• तलानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also)

• दैत्य-आद्यैः: by Daityas and others
• दैत्य-आद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘by daityas and others’

• आकाशः: the sky
• आकाशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पक्षि-पूर्वकैः: by (beings) headed by birds
• पक्षि-पूर्वकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘with birds as the foremost/including birds’

• नाकः: heaven
• नाकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘svarga/heaven’

• सुकृतिभिः: by the virtuous
• सुकृतिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘by the meritorious’

• जीवैः: by living beings
• जीवैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पाप-कर्मभिः: by sinful actions
• पाप-कर्मभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘by sinful deeds’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Naraka
• Nāka (Svarga)
• Talā (nether worlds)

FAQs

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

It frames the universe as a moral cosmos: realms correspond to the dominant nature of beings and, for humans, to karma—merit leads to heavenly experience while sin leads to painful hellish consequence.

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

While not naming bhakti directly, it supports a core bhakti ethic: righteous, God-aligned conduct (sukṛti) elevates the jīva, whereas pāpa obstructs spiritual progress—thus devotion is safeguarded by dharma and purified action.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse mainly teaches karma-phala (ethical causality) rather than a specific Vedanga; practically, it reinforces dharma-based conduct and ritual propriety as means to accumulate sukṛti and avoid pāpa.