Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

The Exposition of Spiritual Knowledge

Jñāna-pradarśanam

Devanagari script

अहो मन्ये महाकष्टं समस्तक्लेशसाधनम् । सर्वान्कामानवाप्नोति पुनरन्यच्च कांक्षति ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

aho manye mahākaṣṭaṃ samastakleśasādhanam | sarvānkāmānavāpnoti punaranyacca kāṃkṣati || 20 ||

Translation

Ai de mim, considero isto uma grande miséria—instrumento de toda aflição—que, mesmo após alcançar tudo o que se deseja, a pessoa volta a ansiar por outra coisa.

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/उद्गार-अव्यय (interjection)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• महा-कष्टम्: a great misery
• महा-कष्टम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महत् कष्टम्)

• समस्त-क्लेश-साधनम्: a cause of all afflictions
• समस्त-क्लेश-साधनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘महाकष्टम्’); समासः तत्पुरुषः (समस्तानां क्लेशानां साधनम्)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कामान्’)

• कामान्: desires
• कामान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kala/Prayojana (काल/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• अन्यत्: something else
• अन्यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• काङ्क्षति: longs for
• काङ्क्षति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √काङ्क्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sanatkumara (one of the Sanatkumara brothers), instructing Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

FAQs

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

It diagnoses saṁsāric bondage: desire is self-renewing, so even fulfilled wishes do not end craving; recognizing this fuels vairāgya (detachment) and turns the seeker toward mokṣa.

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

By showing the futility of endless acquisition, it redirects the heart from temporary objects to steadfast devotion to the Supreme (often taught in the Purana as Viṣṇu-bhakti), where longing becomes single-pointed rather than scattered.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is psychological discernment—observing how kāma persists even after fulfillment.