Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 33

Bharata’s Attachment and the Palanquin Teaching on ‘I’ and ‘Mine’

Devanagari script

अपश्यत्स मुनिश्रेष्टः स्वात्मानं प्रकृतेः परम् । आत्मनोधिगतज्ञानाद्द्वेवादीनि महामुने ॥ ३३ ॥

Transliteration

apaśyatsa muniśreṣṭaḥ svātmānaṃ prakṛteḥ param | ātmanodhigatajñānāddvevādīni mahāmune || 33 ||

Translation

ତେବେ ସେ ମୁନିଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ନିଜ ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ପ୍ରକୃତିର ପରେ ଥିବାରୂପେ ଦର୍ଶନ କଲେ; ହେ ମହାମୁନି, ଆତ୍ମସାକ୍ଷାତ୍ ଜ୍ଞାନରେ ଦ୍ୱେଷ ଆଦି କ୍ଲେଶ ନିବୃତ୍ତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘he saw’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनिश्रेष्ठः: the best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास-विग्रहः: मुनीनां श्रेष्ठः

• स्वात्मानम्: his own Self
• स्वात्मानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समास-विग्रहः: स्वः आत्मा

• प्रकृतेः: of Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• परम्: beyond
• परम्: Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying ‘स्वात्मानम्’

• आत्मना: by the self
• आत्मना: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; करण (instrumental)

• उद्गतज्ञानात्: from attained knowledge
• उद्गतज्ञानात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिगत-ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause): ‘from/owing to attained knowledge’

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; numeral qualifying ‘वादीनि’

• वादीनि: doctrines/arguments
• वादीनि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; here with ‘द्वे’ → taken as द्वितीया/कर्म (objects understood)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समास-विग्रहः: महान् मुनिः

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in Moksha-Dharma context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Atman
• Prakriti

FAQs

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

It states that liberation begins when the sage directly realizes the Self as beyond material nature (Prakṛti); this inner realization naturally dissolves hatred and related mental afflictions.

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

While framed in jñāna language, it supports bhakti by showing that inner purity is essential: when the Self is known, negative emotions like dveṣa fall away, making steady devotion and loving remembrance possible.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is yogic-vedāntic discipline—cultivating self-knowledge to remove dveṣa and other inner obstacles.