Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 116

Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy

Devanagari script

स याति नरकं घोरं यावञ्चर्द्रार्क तारकम् । पापिनां निन्द्यमानानां पापार्द्धं क्षयमेति च ॥ ११६ ॥

Transliteration

sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ yāvañcardrārka tārakam | pāpināṃ nindyamānānāṃ pāpārddhaṃ kṣayameti ca || 116 ||

Translation

ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର, ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଓ ତାରାମଣ୍ଡଳ ଯେତେଦିନ ରହିବ, ସେତେଦିନ ସେ ଘୋର ନରକକୁ ଯାଏ। ଏବଂ ସଜ୍ଜନମାନେ ଯାହାଙ୍କୁ ନିନ୍ଦା କରନ୍ତି ସେହି ପାପୀମାନଙ୍କ ପାପର ଅର୍ଧ ଭାଗ କ୍ଷୟ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

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

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying नरकम्)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाण/कालवाचक-अव्यय (as long as)

• चन्द्र: the moon
• चन्द्र: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (in a list)

• अर्क: the sun
• अर्क: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (in a list)

• तारकम्: the stars / starry (heaven)
• तारकम्: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here adverbial-accusative sense ‘(while) the stars (exist)’ / or as collective ‘starry (world)’

• पापिनाम्: of sinners
• पापिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• निन्द्यमानानाम्: being reviled
• निन्द्यमानानाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रत्यय (present passive participle), षष्ठी, बहुवचन; qualifies पापिनाम्

• पाप-अर्धम्: half of the sin
• पाप-अर्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्षयम्: destruction/cessation
• क्षयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (object of एति)

• एति: goes to/attains
• एति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada in a dharma-upadeśa context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Candra
• Arka
• Tārakāḥ

FAQs

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

It stresses karmic accountability: grave wrongdoing leads to prolonged naraka-experience, while moral correction through righteous censure is presented as a mechanism that can diminish sin.

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

By highlighting the terror of pāpa and naraka, it implicitly pushes the seeker toward śuddha-ācāra and turning to Bhagavān through bhakti as a safeguard against sinful conduct and its consequences.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical dharma takeaway is emphasized rather than a specific Vedāṅga: ethical discipline (sadācāra) and social/religious censure function as corrective forces that reduce pāpa and deter adharma.