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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38

The Greatness of Viṣṇu

Uttaṅka’s Hymn, Hari’s Manifestation, and the Boon of Bhakti

संसारसिन्धौ पतितं कदर्यं मोहाकुलं कामशतेन बद्धम् । अकीर्तिभाजं पिशुनं कृतघ्नं सदाशुचिं पापरतं प्रमन्युम् । दयाम्बुधे पाहि भयाकुलं मां पुनः पुनस्त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ३८ ॥

saṃsārasindhau patitaṃ kadaryaṃ mohākulaṃ kāmaśatena baddham | akīrtibhājaṃ piśunaṃ kṛtaghnaṃ sadāśuciṃ pāparataṃ pramanyum | dayāmbudhe pāhi bhayākulaṃ māṃ punaḥ punastvāṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye || 38 ||

Я пал в океан сансары — жалкий и низкий, смятенный омрачением, скованный сотней желаний; носящий дурную славу, злоязыкий, неблагодарный, всегда нечистый, преданный греху и раздувшийся от гордыни. О океан милости, защити меня, охваченного страхом. Снова и снова я прибегаю к Тебе как к прибежищу.

saṃsāra-sindhauin the ocean of saṃsāra
saṃsāra-sindhau:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃsāra (संसार-प्रातिपदिक) + sindhu (सिन्धु-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'ocean of worldly existence'
patitamfallen
patitam:
Karma (कर्म; describing 'me')
TypeAdjective
Rootpat (पत्-धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/कृत्), Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ (understood as object of pāhi)
kadaryammiserly/base
kadaryam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootkadarya (कदर्य-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ
moha-ākulamconfused by delusion
moha-ākulam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootmoha (मोह-प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (आकुल-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'agitated by delusion'
kāma-śatenaby a hundred desires
kāma-śatena:
Karana (करण/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootkāma (काम-प्रातिपदिक) + śata (शत-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'by a hundred desires'
baddhambound
baddham:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootbandh (बन्ध्-धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ
a-kīrti-bhājamsharing in ill-repute
a-kīrti-bhājam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Roota (अ-उपसर्ग/निषेध) + kīrti (कीर्ति-प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (भाज्-प्रातिपदिक from √bhaj)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'partaking of ill-fame'
piśunamslanderous
piśunam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpiśuna (पिशुन-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ
kṛta-ghnamungrateful
kṛta-ghnam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛta (कृत-प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (घ्न-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'one who destroys (remembers not) what is done' i.e., ungrateful
sadā-aśucimalways impure
sadā-aśucim:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootsadā (सदा-अव्यय) + aśuci (अशुचि-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — avyayībhāva: 'always impure'
pāpa-ratamaddicted to sin
pāpa-ratam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpāpa (पाप-प्रातिपदिक) + rata (रत-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'devoted to sin'
pra-manyumvery angry
pra-manyum:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpra (प्र-उपसर्ग) + manyu (मन्यु-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — 'very wrathful/angry'
dayā-ambudheO ocean of compassion
dayā-ambudhe:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
TypeNoun
Rootdayā (दया-प्रातिपदिक) + ambudhi (अम्बुधि-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'ocean of compassion'
pāhiprotect
pāhi:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpā (पा-धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
bhaya-ākulamdistressed by fear
bhaya-ākulam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier of māṃ)
TypeAdjective
Rootbhaya (भय-प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (आकुल-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — 'agitated by fear'
māmme
mām:
Karma (कर्म/object of pāhi)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormPronoun, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
punaḥagain
punaḥ:
Prakaraṇa (प्रकार/iteration)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunaḥ (पुनः-अव्यय)
FormAdverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)
punaḥagain
punaḥ:
Prakaraṇa (प्रकार/iteration)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunaḥ (पुनः-अव्यय)
FormAdverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)
tvāmyou
tvām:
Karma (कर्म/object of prapadye)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormPronoun, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
śaraṇamrefuge
śaraṇam:
Gati/Upapada-Karma (गति/उपपद-कर्म; 'as refuge')
TypeNoun
Rootśaraṇa (शरण-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — used as predicate/object complement
prapadyeI take refuge / surrender
prapadye:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + pad (प्र + पद्-धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Narada (as a supplicant within the teaching dialogue)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

N
Narada
V
Vishnu

FAQs

It models śaraṇāgati (repeated surrender): the devotee honestly confesses inner faults—desire, impurity, pride—and seeks protection from the “ocean of compassion,” emphasizing that grace rescues one from the saṃsāra-sindhu.

Bhakti is expressed as humble self-assessment and continual refuge-taking (punaḥ punaḥ śaraṇaṃ prapadye). The verse frames devotion less as self-powered merit and more as reliance on the Lord’s dayā (compassion).

No specific Vedāṅga technique (śikṣā, vyākaraṇa, jyotiṣa, etc.) is taught here; the practical takeaway is devotional discipline—repeated surrender, repentance, and turning away from kāma (desire) and pāpa (sin).