Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

माषषोडषमानं स्यात्सुवर्णमिति नारद । हत्वा ब्रह्मस्वमज्ञानाद्द्वादशांब्दं तु पूर्ववत् ॥ ३८ ॥

Transliteration

māṣaṣoḍaṣamānaṃ syātsuvarṇamiti nārada | hatvā brahmasvamajñānāddvādaśāṃbdaṃ tu pūrvavat || 38 ||

Translation

హే నారదా, పదహారు మాషములు ఒక ‘సువర్ణ’మని చెప్పబడింది. అజ్ఞానవశాత్ బ్రహ్మస్వము (బ్రాహ్మణసంబంధ ధనం) నాశము/హింస జరిగితే, పూర్వవిధంగా పన్నెండు సంవత్సరాలు ప్రాయశ్చిత్తం ఆచరించాలి.

Word by Word

• माष: māṣa (unit)
• माष: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (in compound)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (numeral), प्रातिपदिक (in compound)

• मानम्: a measure of sixteen māṣas
• मानम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); समासः—माषाणां षोडशानां मानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• स्यात्: is (taken to) be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुवर्णम्: a suvarṇa (gold unit)
• सुवर्णम्: Pratijñā/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriyā (क्रिया/absolutive—prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत्वा (कृदन्त/क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (prior action)

• ब्रह्मस्वम्: Brahmin’s property
• ब्रह्मस्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object—of implied act)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); समासः—ब्रह्मणः स्वम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• अज्ञानात्: out of ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (numeral), प्रातिपदिक (in compound)

• अब्दम्: twelve years
• अब्दम्: Karma (कर्म/Object—duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); समासः—द्वादश अब्दम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्राय: numeral determinative)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेषार्थ/अनुवाद (emphasis)

• पूर्ववत्: as before
• पूर्ववत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्ववत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकारवाचक (manner)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It links ethical responsibility with precise traditional standards: the verse defines a recognized measure of value (suvarṇa = sixteen māṣas) and underscores that even unintentional harm involving Brahmin-associated wealth demands serious long-term purification through prāyaścitta.

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

Indirectly: Bhakti in the Purāṇic framework includes living dharmically. The verse teaches that sincere devotion must be accompanied by accountability and corrective discipline when one’s actions violate sacred social and religious trusts.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects practical dharma-śāstra style calibration of ritual/legal penalties using traditional measures of weight/value (māṣa, suvarṇa), a technical detail often used in prescribing dāna and prāyaścitta.