Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43

Saṃsāra-duḥkha: Karmic Descent, Garbhavāsa, Life’s Anxieties, Death, and the Call to Jñāna-Bhakti

Devanagari script

नारायणे जगन्नाथे सर्वकामफलप्रदे । स्थितेऽपि ज्ञानरहिताः पच्यंते नरकेष्वहो ॥ ४३ ॥

Transliteration

nārāyaṇe jagannāthe sarvakāmaphalaprade | sthite'pi jñānarahitāḥ pacyaṃte narakeṣvaho || 43 ||

Translation

नारायणे जगन्नाथे सर्वकामफलप्रदे । स्थितेऽपि ज्ञानरहिताः पच्यन्ते नरकेष्वहो ॥

Word by Word

• नारायणे: in/when Nārāyaṇa (is present)
• नारायणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; लोके सप्तमी/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (in/when Nārāyaṇa is present)

• जगन्नाथे: in/when the Lord of the world
• जगन्नाथे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘जगतः नाथः’ (Lord of the world)

• सर्व-काम-फल-प्रदे: in/when (he) who grants fruits of all desires
• सर्व-काम-फल-प्रदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; √दा + प्र + क)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘सर्वेषां कामानां फलानि प्रददाति’ (giver of the fruits of all desires)

• स्थिते: even when (he) is present
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), सप्तमी, एकवचन; लोके सप्तमी (locative absolute sense): ‘even when (he) is present’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), ‘even/also’

• ज्ञान-रहिताः: devoid of knowledge
• ज्ञान-रहिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हा ‘त्यागे’ with prefix? lexical ‘rahita’ = devoid of)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘ज्ञानात् रहिताः’ (devoid of knowledge)

• पच्यन्ते: are tormented (are ‘cooked’)
• पच्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे अर्थः ‘are cooked/tormented’

• नरकेषु: in hells
• नरकेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; अधिकरण (location)

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मय-निपात), exclamation

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-oriented discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Vishnu
• Jagannatha

FAQs

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

It stresses that mere proximity to divine support is not enough—without right knowledge and discernment (jñāna), beings continue in harmful actions and reap painful consequences, described as naraka.

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

By calling Nārāyaṇa the giver of all fruits, it implies that devotion should be joined with understanding—bhakti guided by jñāna—so that one seeks the Lord Himself (liberation) rather than remaining trapped in desire-driven living.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is ethical-spiritual discernment—cultivating right knowledge to align conduct with dharma and avoid karmic downfall.